ÖJE 040 ZUTE
LORD CAITHNESS: WHAT I SAID IS, YOU CANNOT COMPARE THE SUCCESS 1991 ON THE UK MODEL, BECAUSE THERE, YOU KNOW THE NEXT DAY; AND R
ELECTIONS HAVE EVOLVED OVER MANY CENTURIES. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THERE IS GOING TO BE DIRECT ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG AND IT IS AN IMPORTANT TIME.
ne
se: YUE STN-YUI, HONG KONG STANDARD: I WANT ΤΟ KNOW WHAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS DONE TO ASK OTHER COUNTRIES, I MEAN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, TO FOLLOW SUIT, TO GIVE A SIMILAR SCHEME AS THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE?
THE THE
LORD CAITHNESS: YES, WE HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN INTERNATIONAL FIELD, DISCUSSING IT AND PUTTING FORWARD REPRESENTATION FOR HONG KONG. I KNOW THAT CERTAIN SCHEMES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED. I BELIEVE I AM RIGHT IN SAYING THAT FRANCE AND GERMANY HAVE GOT SCHEMES GOING; THAT AMERICA ARE CONSIDERING A SCHEME. AND HAVING BEEN HERE NOW AND LEARNT MORE AT FIRSTHAND, I TOO, WILL BE ABLE TO REINFORCE THAT MESSAGE AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL. WHAT EACH COUNTRY DECIDES TO DO, OF COURSE, IS UP TO THEM.
VUE SIN YUI: DUT ARE SIMILAR SCHEMES COMING, 1 MEAN?
LORD CAITHNESS: I THINK THE SCHEME WILL DEPEND ON EACH GOVERNMENT AND HOW THEY WISH ΤΟ DO IT FOR THEIR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. I CAN'T INFLUENCE THAT, BUT WHAT I CAN DO IS ASK THEM TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG AND TO BE AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE.
YUE SIN-YUI: MEANING, NO SIMILAR SCHEME IS COMING?
LORD CAITHNESS: I DON'T KNOW, THAT IS UP TO EACH GOVERNMENT. MY JOB IS ACTUALLY TO COMMUNICATE THE POSITION OF HONG KONG TO GOVERNMENTS.
YUE SIN-YUI: THEN YOU DO JUDGE THAT IT'S NOT SUCCESSFUL? MEAN THAT NEGOTIATIONS
THOSE
I
THERE
LORD CAITHNESS: NO, I THINK THERE ARE ALREADY SCHEMES. HAVE BEEN SCHEMES BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY; THERE'S A SCHEME BEING DISCUSSED IN AMERICA AT THE MOMENT. QUITE HOW THAT FINALISES AND SHAPES-UP IS YET TO BE SEEN.
KEVIN LAU, HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL: HONG KONG IS HAVING IT'S FIRST EVER DEMOCRATIC ELECTION NEXT YEAR, WILL YOU ASSURE US THAT ANYTHING THAT IS ILLEGAL. UNDER THE LONG-ESTABLISHED BRITISH LAW AND CASE LAW ON ELECTIONS, WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED IN HONG KONG'S ELECTION LAWS?
LORD CAITHNESS: I THINK THE RULES FOR THE ELECTION HAVE BEEN CLEARLY LAID DOWN BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
SORT OF
KEVIN LAU: THOSE LAWS WERE NOT FOR DEMOCRATIC ARE GOING TO HAVE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
7
ELECTIONS;
WE