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7.
But if the continuation of Hong Kong's way of
life is the best guarantee of Hong Kong's future prosperity, an integral part of that way of life is the participation of individual citizens in the conduct of Hong Kong's affairs.
8.
The ink of international agreements and the implacable realities of history, geography and economics shape and determine the way in which we can broaden that participation. That is a fact well understood by the people of Hong Kong better understood by them perhaps than by some of those who would like the people of Hong Kong to be the heroic pawns of their own doubtless well-meaning preconceptions.
9.
<d
So the pace of democratisation is constrained in Hong Kong. Constrained - but not stopped dead in its tracks. Both the Joint Declaration envisage that democracy should be carried forward with a Legislative Council Hong Kong's Parliament constituted entirely by elections by 1995. The Basic Law the constitution for Hong Kong after 1997 provides for a steady increase in the number of directly-elected seats. Most importantly, the people of Hong Kong, whenever they are asked, indicate they want a greater degree of democracy.
10.
dar
As Governor, I have to respond to that
challenge. That is why I announced in my speech to the Legislative Council this morning a number of measures to broaden democracy in Hong Kong, make its governing institutions more effective and improve their
accountability.
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