HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
14 July 1988
1925
repugnant and I would have thought totally out of place in a society in which upward mobility is a real possibility to those who have the ambition and the will.
The business and professional community is frankly concerned that the other alternatives will lead to confrontational party politics which will undermine the social order and traditional harmony of our society, and even incite the entry of external political influence.
If one takes an objective look at the alternatives set out in Annex II, one would find that the proportion of members selected through direct elections to the legislature, the only form of democracy recognised by some, ranges form 25 per cent in alternatives and 4, to 30 per cent in alternative 3, to 50 per cent in. alternative 2. Thus, all alternatives are a mixed form of election and they differ only in proportion, not in the basic principle of democracy.
Whilst I do not agree with Mrs. Selina CHOW on her criticism of the grand electoral college being 'unwieldy and difficult to understand,' and her observation that Hong Kong has progressed past the age of unorganised political personnel and activities, I do find that she has provided some very useful comments that the business and professional community should do well to consider. I am sure that the business and professional community will not disagree with her that effective and efficient administration is what we should aim for, and that Hong Kong's political system should operate on the principle of balance of interests on economic contribution rather than on simple head count. There are certainly a lot of common grounds.
Perhaps it would be easier to reach a consensue amongst different groups if the Bac Law is written in such a way that, over time, the political structure can be allowed to evolve gradually in keeping with the aspiration of the community.
Finally, Sir, I would touch briefly on Chapter VI. the chapter give to education, science, culture, sports, religion, labour and social services. This chapter deals with those aspects of our society that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will be given autonomy. In a recent meeting with the drafting committee members from the Mainland, one senior Chinese official and drafting member stated that this is the chapter that Hong Kong people should be able to write themselves.
One can safely say at this stage that Chapter VI does not present any realy problem that is constitutionally unacceptable, though it contains many problems textually. The articles have been written in such a way to giver assurance to the Hong Kong people that the present system will be maintained. This does pose the problem that it would impair further development to suit a dynamic society if the Basic Law were to be interpreted literally, which is certainly not the intention in the first place.
Members of the professional community are studying article 150 with great interest. Their concerns have been that, firstly, the power to deal with matters
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