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direct election to the Legislative Council. But as far as I know from the Report of the Survey Office that the general public opinion is not in favour of any change in the relationship between UC and DB. Only a small number of DB members are in favour of going to the Urban Council. If it is implemented, the White Paper in this particular aspect is actually against public opinion. However, the Government always emphasizes that they listen to public opinion and I can't really understand what sort of logic it is. There are a lot of contradictory points. Although a lot of my colleagues had lodged their objections, the Bill was passed yesterday. In the next year, we cannot have an official seat in the district board. After having gone through the first reading in the Legislative Council, I had to put in my name and stand for election, otherwise I will be out of the game altogether. Yesterday, I was waiting very eagerly because if our Honourable Hilton CHEONG-LEEN and five other members were successful in objecting to the passing of the Bill in the First Reading, we will be able to retain our seats in the district board and then I do not have to run for election. Unfortunately, they failed yesterday and this evening we have to put up our banners and beg people for their support. I have been in the Urban Council for nineteen years and have seen a lot of changes. The Urban Council has now 50 per cent elected and 50 per cent appointed members. We have a lot of hardship and we are able to work together. Perhaps if we get ten more people coming from all sectors of the community, we can still be able to function. Mr. Walter SULKE said in the newspaper that perhaps we should take certain action. I don't think it is necessary as we can't do anything unilaterally. Could we really work harmoniously after having ten members from the District Boards? Our Secretary has to face a lot of headache concerning not enough seats or earphones. I don't think it is fair to say that we have to complete our task no matter how difficult it is. It is really a retrogressive step. In the Legislative Council, direct election is introduced whilst indirect direction is imposed on the Urban Council. I would like to mention one point. The Government says that this move is to bring it in line with the Regional Council but they forget one point. In the Regional Council, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk are ex-officio members but we don't have something like that. I am a native of the New Territories. In the New Territories, they have their own characteristics, with their own background. In the past century, we have been doing a good job, why they have to give us an additional test to see whether we can pass or fail. If we fail, I don't know what the consequence is? I hope that our Legislative Councillors will not endorse this policy or the Government will withdraw the proposals so that we can do a good job according to our past record. I support the motion, Mr. Chairman.
(Mr. FAN Kam-ping arrived at 2:45 p.m.)
DR. PHILIP C. K. Kwok (in English): Mr. Chairman, I just wish to speak on one paragraph, namely para. 54. I had commented on several occasions in front of a LegCo panel, and in front of government officials that the description of the relationship between Legislative Council, the Municipal Councils and the District Boards as a 3-tier structure is misleading. It is misleading because it implies one is on top of the other whereas in fact they are completely different animals, having different functions in the government structure. The Legislative Council is a law-making body, the Municipal Councils are part of the executive branch of the government with specific responsibility (The future reconstituted Housing Authority will have a similar standing) and the District Boards are advisory bodies speaking out on all matters affecting our daily lives, thus serving both the executive and legislative branch of the government. I was told on these occasions that the name '3-tier' is just a convenient nomenclature, certainly not meant to imply an up-to-down relationship. But if you read para. 54, it is spelled out in no uncertain terms that one tier is 'higher' than the next, and furthermore, this befuddled concept is used to justify a new down-to-up representation; so on and so forth.
This type of logic is just mind-boggling. It is really sad that people high up in the government and presumably very knowledgeable in the functioning of the government and therefore deemed competent enough to be trusted with the task of writing this important document can come up with such ridiculous arguments and conclusions. And I think I will be wasting your time and mine if I say anything more about the White Paper.
With these words, I support your motion.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English): Mr. Chairman, as you are aware, I didn't think it was such a good idea to have this meeting and move this motion immediately after the publication of the White Paper, and I still don't think it is a very good idea. None of us have really had time to digest what is in the paper and, of course, the paper is far more important than just the bits that concern us here in the Council. The decisions made by Government need serious consideration, and as far as they must be opposed, a very serious and concentrated lobbying effort directed at all members of OMELCO to persuade them not to accept those parts of the White Paper which we, for whatever reason, think are bad or wrong-headed. But at the same time, we must all be aware that Government, through the appointed system, has a solid majority Government Party in LEGCO and that, therefore, however hard the opposition may try, they will probably not get anywhere.
On a very superficial reading of the White Paper and having listened to what was said in Parliament and in LEGCO yesterday, I am disappointed, but not surprised. The main impression left by the paper is that the SAR is already in existence and that the British Government, and I emphasize the British Government because I do not think this is the Hong Kong Government's fault, has already resigned its mandate and handed it over to the Chinese Government. This is made quite clear by the fact that the White Paper does not contain anything about what happens to the Governmental process after 1991. And remember, the elections in 1991 will be less than six years from the official hand...
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