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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 13 July 1988
I believe that these electoral colleges should elect Legislative Councillors only and be kept separate from the electoral college set up to elect a Chief Executive.
As regards article 70. I believe that the President of the Legislative Council should be elected from among the Members of the Legislative Council.
I believe that my proposal represents a good foundation for democratic participation to be further developed by Hong Kong people in the years ahead after 1997.
Chapter VII: External Affairs
As regards article 159, I would urge that in order to allow more flexibility, the words 'or "Hong Kong"' should be added after the words 'Hong Kong, China'. Such is already the existing situation in Hong Kong, especially in trade practices and negotiations, in participation in international sports and cultural events and so on. It would therefore be both desirable and reasonable that the practice be allowed to continue after 1997. I believe Mr. F. K. Hu, the deputy convener of the Recreation and Sports Panel of OMELCO, has already made the same point.
Chapter X: Supplementary Provisions
In relation to the formation of the first government and first legislature of the Hong Kong SAR, I support the "through train' concept in order to ensure a smooth transfer of sovereignty and with minimum disruption in the life of the community.
Once the draft Basic Law is adopted in 1990 by the National People's Congress, it will be up to the British and Chinese Governments to carefully plan how far and fast to move forward politically along the lines spelt out in the Basic Law so that by 1997 the political, administrative and other structures will have been already in place, enabling a smooth transfer of sovereignty to be effected.
Much remains to be done in the consulting process and the re-drafting of the draft Basic Law. I would hope that the OMELCO Constitutional Development Panel can expand its liaison with other interested parties in the community in order to arrive at a wider consensus in the re-drafting by the Basic Law Drafting Committe leading to a second and even better version of the Basic Law in 1989.
Sir, I support the motion.
MR. SOHMEN: Sir, to draft a Basic Law for the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong is like putting square pegs into round holes. It looks easy but the end result always leaves gaps. Public debates and learned comments are necessary and useful to identify the obvious technical deficiencies, and we are now pretty much agreed as to what'they are and my colleagues are or have been addressing them already.
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