THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, FAR FROM NOT BEING READY FOR DEMOCRACY, ARE A HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED, HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND HIGHLY SENSITIVE PEOPLE, AND I HAVE A SUSPICION THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY WILL USE THE POWERS GIVEN THEM BY THE GOVERNMENT, AMENDED BY LEĜCO, IN A WAY WHICH RESPONDS TO CHINA'S CONCERNS. AND I THINK THIS MATTER WILL ULTIMATELY BE BEST RESOLVED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THEMSELVES IN THE WAY THEY USE THOSE POWERS IN THE ELECTION OF 1995. IN OTHER WORDS, I THINK MY ARGUMENT WOULD BE THAT THE BACKSTOP FOR THIS QUARREL WILL BE LEFT TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THEY WILL RISE TO THAT CHALLENGE AND USE IT IN A WAY WHICH BEST SECURES THEIR FUTURE AND LEAST CREATES CONCERN AND WORRY IN BEIJING.
THOSE ARE MY VIEWS. ANY QUESTIONS?
QUESTION:
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE GOVERNOR SHOULD PUT FORWARD THE ORIGINAL PROPOSALS BUT NOT THE AMENDED ONES?
MR. ASHDOWN : POSSIBILITIES
WELL, I THINK YOU CAN ARGUE THERE ARE SEVERAL THE GOVERNOR COULD PUT FORWARD. I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY FOUR. I THINK HE COULD PUT TO LEGCO ALL THREE PROPOSALS. I AMSAYING WHAT IS TECHNICALLY POSSIBLE, IT SEEMS TO ME, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT HE WILL DO. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE WILL DO AND NOBODY ELSE DOES EITHER. BUT THERE ARE FOUR THINGS HE COULD DO, HE COULD:
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IT IS MY
PUT FORWARD ALL THREE PROPOSALS. THAT IS, THE CHINESE PROPOSAL, THE COMPROMISE PROPOSAL, THAT IS THE PROPOSAL AFTER HE HAS MADE THE VARIOUS COMPROMISES HE HAS MADE, AND HIS ORIGINAL PROPOSALS. THAT IS COURSE NUMBER ONE.
COURSE NUMBER TWO IS TO PUT THE 'COMPROMISE PROPOSAL.
COURSE NUMBER THREE IS ΤΟ PUT HIS OWN ORIGINAL PROPOSALS.
AND COURSE NUMBER FOUR, I AM GOING TO CALL THE A LA CARTE SOLUTION. IF YOU LIKE, THE TICK-THE-BOX' SOLUTION, WHERE HE COULD PUT FORWARD THE INGREDIENTS OF THE PROPOSALS, FOR INSTANCE SHALL WE LOWER VOTING AGE TO 18? SHALL WE HAVE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES THIS WAY OR THAT WAY? AND ASK LEGCO, AS IT WERE, TO THE-BOX TO PRODUCE AN A LA CARTE ANSWER, AND HE THEN FRAME THE LEGISLATION IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT LEGCO'S RESPONSE TO THAT WOULD BE.
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TICK- COULD
JUDGMENT IT IS A VERY FINELY BALANCED ONE AND IT IS A QUESTION OF JUDGMENT AND THE BALANCES OF ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES ARE QUITE FINELY BALANCED - IT IS MY JUDGMENT THAT THE BEST THING WOULD BE FOR HIM TO PUT FORWARD HIS ORIGINAL PROPOSALS AND THEN LET ́ LEGCO MEMBERS -VOTE IN THE WAY THAT THEY WILL.
QUESTIONA
IF IT IS SUCH A BIG DEAL TO REACH AGREEMENT WITH CHINA AS THE GOVERNOR SAID EARLIER, DO YOU THINK LONDON SHOULD NOW ACCEPT CHINËSE PROPOSALS THAT THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1994 AND 1995 BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY?
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