1303-04-21 02.49
6.1.3
33 P.64
Lee/Rowlands 26
So, if you give us, or if the Chinese were to
give us only window dressing democracy, then it just won't do
it
what we need is effective democracy. And I believe that
was the basis on which you ratified the Joint Declaration.
-
MR EDWARD ROWLANDS: But, if you cannot get a degree of
consensus other than the minimal changes that you suggest,
or what appear to be, in your view, minimal changes isn't
the dilemma that on the one hand people say to us that they
want certainty, they want fixed in the Basic Law a clear
progression towards majority, although there is no agreement
But, if you get a minimalist, or lowest common
denominator solution and then fix it in this law that this
law will then be incapable of adapting to the
political
mood that might develop in Hong Kong with this highly
literate potential electorate you've got.
MR MARTIN LEE: Of course, ideally if we can reach consensus,
then that would be the best thing. But, if we could reach
consensus we would have reached it.
But, not to give us
genuine democracy simply because we cannot agree is like a
mother saying to two kids who cannot agree whether they
should have spaghetti or rice that therefore they should have
none.
MR EDWARD ROWLANDS: No, but given
what I am saying is that
do you think that lay down, that if in fact you cannot get