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p.a. Opinion Polls
141565 MOLIAN 2636
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FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1594
OF 111103Z OCTOBER 1993
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
OUR TELNO: 1582
TOP CO O BEST?
MY ADDRESS TO LEGCO: PUBLIC REACTION.
611/12
REC
"Y
IND
IN TUR, I REPORTED ON THE IMMEDIATE PUBLIC REACTION TO MY 6 OCTOBER LEGCO ADDRESS. WE HAVE NOW SEEN 4 MORE OPINION POLLS. THE RESULTS CONFIRM OUR INITIAL ASSESSMENT THAT MY SPEECH HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED AND THAT SUPPORT FOR MY PROPOSALS ON THE 1994-95 ELECTIONS HAS HELD UP WELL.
ON 9 OCTOBER, THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST PUBLISHED THE RESULTS OF A POLL CONDUCTED BY HONG KONG UNIVERSITY'S SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH CENTRE. THE SAMPLE SIZE WAS 605 AND THE RESULTS WERE AS
FOLLOWS:
(I) 79 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS AGREED WITH THE PROPOSITION THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY. 6 PERCENT SAID THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY, 3 PERCENT SAID THEY WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE IT TO OTHERS AND 12 PERCENT WERE UNSURE;
(II) 52 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WERE PERSONALLY PREPARED TO STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY (SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER THAN THE NUMBER GIVING A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO THE MORE ABSTRACT QUESTION AT (I)). 17 PERCENT FELT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY BECAUSE THE PRESENT SITUATION WAS FINE; 16 PERCENT ANSWERED QUOTE NO, LET OTHERS DO IT UNQUOTE; AND 14 PERCENT WERE UNSURE;
(III) 58 PERCENT AGREED THAT QUOTE WE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO STAND UP FOR HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE UNQUOTE; 23 PERCENT DISAGREED AND 19 PERCENT WERE UNSURE;
(IV) 43 PERCENT SUPPORTED THE PROPOSITION THAT I SHOULD PRESS ON WITH MY CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IF THERE IS NO AGREEMENT WITH CHINA; 26 PERCENT DID NOT; AND 30 PERCENT WERE UNSURE; AND
(V) 51 PERCENT AGREED THAT LEGCO SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO AMEND WHATEVER PROPOSALS AR PUT TO THEM; 24 PERCENT DISAGREED; AND 24
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