HONG KONG
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 19 July 1989 香港立法局—————————————一九八九年七月十九日
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CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, in considering the pace of constitutional development towards greater democracy in 1991, the most careful consideration will be given to the full spectrum of public views expressed. I stressed in this Council on 5 July how important it was to obtain the clear support of the community before any proposals for change should be put into effect. In this respect, I remain confident that Members of this Council will continue to take the lead in building on the consensus that has emerged and will provide the Government with a clear direction on which to base its decisions.
At this stage, it is too early to say whether there will be a formal public consultation similar in procedure to the review which preceded the publication of the 1988 White Paper. A clear consensus on the way forward would make such a time-consuming exercise unnecessary. So, I therefore urge that our community comes out strongly to express their views on this very important
matter.
MR. CHOW: Sir, in last Thursday's House of Commons debate the British Government also stressed that the future Hong Kong political system would depend on the consensus of the Hong Kong people. Would the Administration tell this Council what the definition of "consensus" is and how such consensus could be arrived at? Would it mean just the views of the OMELCO, or of certain groups like the Basic Law drafters, or of all the people of Hong Kong?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, I think the views of the Hong Kong people will be expressed in a number of ways, not only through Members of this Council but also through our other representative bodies: the Urban and Regional Councils, the district boards, and indeed, all the many interested community groups that are continuing to take an interest in political development in Hong Kong. And we would wish to take account of all those views, Sir.
MR. CHOW: Sir, in order to get the majority view of the Hong Kong people, would the Administration consider holding a referendum?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, I think to undertake a referendum would involve very careful consideration. There are, of course, well-known difficulties inherent in the holding of a referendum. Firstly, it is very difficult to formulate precise and simple questions which form the basis of any referendum. This