24-FEB-1993
17:49
CAB
6.1.5.
24-FEB-1993 17:39
+ 852 840 1528
P.03
Supplementary Question 1:
Szeto Wah:
Mr President, will the administration inform this council the following: in the electoral arrangements, how can the government avoid the mistake of the JLG on the Court of Final Appeal?
President:
Could you put it more specifically?
Szeto Wah: With regard to the talk on the electoral arrangements, if there is any agreement between China and Britain, how can they ensure that this council will endorse the arrangements?
SCA: Mr Pesident, unlike the incident referred by Mr Széto, since the this announcement of the Governor's constitutional proposals in council on the 7th October, we have had the benefit of a number of motion debates in this council, in which members' views have been
We have also had numerous
numerous debates fully and eloquently expressed.
media. In within the community, some of them organised by the media. addition, we have received written submissions from individual members of this council and also from members of the public, which have been published in a compendium and we are indeed considering the necessity of a supplement to that particular compedium, not to mention the number of polls conducted by newspapers, which have consistently shown that despite heavy criticism from a number of quarters that these Mr proposals still retain a 2:1 margin of support by the community. President, we will certainly, in any diplomatic talks, be guarded by these opinion and views that have been expressed, and indeed we shall remind ourselves that the Legco has the constitutional power to enact This we also will firmly legislation for the electoral arrangements. bear in mind in any negotiations.
Supplementary Question 2.
Gilbert Leung: Mr President, will the administration inform this council the following. Before the initial talks, has the Chinese Government insisted on some preconditions, say asking the Governor to withdraw his constitutional package before the Chinese side is willing this to come to negotiating table and will the HK Government follow advice?
SCA: Mr President, it is clear that diplomatic exchanges will have to therefore have to be prudent and remain confidential. But I will therefore have discreet in what I have to say in answer to this question. We have said to the Chinese side that we are ready to hold talks on the 1994- 95 election arrangements without preconditions and we hope formal.
I think it is not talks between the two sides can soon begin. fruitful and not helpful for any of us to try and impute into this particular exchange as to whether which side has given way on whatever matter.
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