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CONETIJOIWIN
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LORD CAITHNESS: I DON'T HAVE A PRECISE DEFINITION AT THE MOMENT 'D IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR ME TO DO SO. I'VE TALKED TO THE NEW LITICAL PARTIES, OR SOME OF THEM; I'VE TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY ARE GOING TO STAND AND SOME WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED. I THINK AT THIS STAGE IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO GIVE YOU A DEFINITION OF SUCCESS OF WHAT I MEAN BY SUCCESS - BUT OBVIOUSLY IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT TIME AND THE MORE PEOPLE THAT TAKE PART, THE MORE PEOPLE THAT GO ON THE REGISTER, THE MORE PEOPLE THAT VOTE, THE BETTER THOSE CHANCES ARE.
MOST STAND?
JOHN ANDREWS: SO IT WOULD BE THE TURNOUT THEN, THAT WOULD RE IMPORTANT, DO YOU THINK, OR THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES WHO MIGHT
LORD CAITHNESS: NO, NO, IT'S A COMBINATION OF THAT AND THEN THE ON-GOING SITUATION AS WELL.
SIMON MACKLIN, SCMP: CAN I FOLLOW UP ON THAT, MINISTER? ISN'T IT A BIT FOOLISH TO START TALKING ABOUT SUCCESS WHEN YOU'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THE DUCCB33 WOULD BE?
LORD CAITHNESS: NO, I AM BEING HOPEFUL FOR THE FUTURE. I THINK IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT TIME FOR HONG KONG. I HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE A STRONG AND ACTIVE CAMPAIGN IN WHICH A LOT
LOT OF
OF PEOPLE WILL PARTICIPATE.
SIMON MACKLIN: I'M SURE MOST PEOPLE ARE HOPEFUL FOR THE FUTURE BUT YOU DON'T SEEM TO HAVE A VERY CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT MIGHT BE GOOD IN THE FUTURE AND WHAT MIGHT NOT BE.
WHAT I
LORD CAITHNESS: I HAVE GOT STRONG VIEWS OF THAT. HAVEN'T SAID IS THAT I HAVE GOT A CLEAR DEFINITION YET OF WHAT SUCCESS MEANS.
SIMON MACKLIN: WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL?
COULD YOU PERHAPS SHARE WITH US THEN WHAT
CHRIS OSBORNE: I THINK WE'VE SQUEEZED THAT ONE DRY.
ANGUS FOSTER, FINANCIAL TIMES: I'M SORRY, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE SQUEEZED IT DRY. BUILT IN TO YOUR UNDEFINED MENTION OF SUCCESS, TS THAT GOING TO BE BASED ON WHO IS ELECTED?
LORD CAITHNESS: NO, THAT IS FOR THE ELECTORATE OF HONG KONG. THAT IS NOT A DEFINITION
ANGUS FOSTER: WHEN YOU GO UP TO CHINA BEGGING FOR MORE WILL THAT SUCCESS DEPEND ON WHO IS ELECTED?
SEATS,
LORD CAITHNESS: WHAT I WANT, AS I'VE SAID, IS AS MANY PEOPLE ON THE REGISTER AS POSSIBLE, AS MANY PEOPLE TO VOTE, A GOOD STRONG ACTIVE CAMPAIGN, AND THEN SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT.
ANGUS FOSTER: BUT THE SUCCESS OF AN ELECTION IS ON ITS
RESULT,
MINISTER.
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