1 because the Government's decision in not introducing

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direct elections this year happens to go against

own my wishes

but because it is wrong.

And because

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this decision, if approved by this Council, will

have dire consequences for Hong Kong in the long

term.

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Firstly, Chinese leaders have

not seen direct elections in action and they are.

understandably perhaps reluctant to let Hong Kong have more than 25 per cent of directly elected seats. in our future legislature. But if direct elections

arake

the were to be introduced this year, they can see for

A themselves that the system does work well for Hong

Kong, then they will be happy to give us more.

sind

But if

We were to introduce direct

would

elections only in 1991, the Basic Law will have been fromulgata by thin, e and it would be unlikely for us to be given more

of directly elected sents

than 25 per cent in the future legislature.

Commet in just Ĺ

IA

which case, we will not end up having a truly democratic

or representative system of government by 1997.

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Secondly, a confidence crisis

fith

will grow and emigration will get worse because this

is not merely a matter of timing; for many people

have looked on this issue as the litmus test as

A

the good intentions of both the British and Chinese

Governments towards Hong Kong.

read

:

Sir, I have looked at this White

Paper quite a few times and I cannot find in it a

single valid reason for not introducing direct elections

this year.

Let me refer Members to paragraph 5

of this White Paper which reads: The Government's

objectives with regard to the systems of representative

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