:
In a survey conducted at the end of May 1987, Frank
Small Associates reported 48% in favour of direct elections in
1988
opposed to 34% against. Marketing Decisions Research
conducted 3 surveys, in July and August of 1987. The results
showed an increasing trend in favour of direct elections in 1988
for and 35% against, 47% for being respectively 41%
and 24%/%
against, and 62% for and 28% against in the 3 surveys. Survey
Research Hongkong conducted altogether 4 surveys between July and
September of 1987. The figures were similarly stark: ranging
from 42% to 54% for direct elections in 1988 as opposed to 16% to
25%
against. The Concerned Staff of Tertiary Educational
Institutes conducted their own survey from the end of July to the
beginning of August 1987 which showed a greater percentage
favour of the introduction of direct elections in 1988 than in
any other year.
in
The latest survey, carried out by Marketing Decisions
Research in December, 1987 and published in the
in the South China
Morning Post on 11th January, 1988, showed 78% of the people in
favour of direct elections with only 9% opposed. As to when they
should begin, out of the aforesaid 78%: 53% favoured 1988, 13%
favoured 1989-91, 7% favoured 1992-97 and only 1% wanted to wait
until after 1997.
Despite the bias of the Survey Office Report, a close
study of the Report and its appendices shows unmistakably that
those in favour of direct elections in 1988 overwhelmingly
outnumber those opposed.
Apart from public opinion polls, the Survey Office
Report presented the results of discussions by governmental
bodies, views submitted by associations and individuals as well
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