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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
upright, I will go forward against thousands and tens of thousands'. I am surprised that Mr. PAO Ping-wing should speak with trepidation if he is speaking out his mind. I think that only those who say one thing while meaning another would speak gingerly. I hope Mr. PAO will always speak his mind but with no trepidation at all.
Mr. Ambrose CHEUNG Wing-sum criticized Members for not caring and being passive with regard to the transition of the Council. His criticism is valid. Regretfully, we failed to find in his speech any advice in this aspect except the proposal to set up a Select Committee. Now I would like to say something about the 'Basic Law', in which the 'through train' for the Legislative Council is clearly provided for, though nothing is mentioned about the Urban Council, Regional Council and District Board. I have participated in drafting the 'Basic Law' for 4 years. Why is there no mention about the Urban Council, Regional Council and District Board in the Basic Law? It is because that Councils on these two levels can ride the through train is something understood all along.
In these few years, China has announced repeatedly that the three-tier Councils will be required to alight. If they can violate provisions written down in the law, surely they can do whatever they like with issues on which there are no explicit stipulations. However, there are lots of things not written down in the 'Basic Law'. Does that mean that China can do whatever they like with those things? For instance, can China also order directors of schools, committee members of labour unions and directors of companies to alight? This is the most vivid and concrete manifestation of the principle of 'putting oneself in the dominant position'. If China adopts the principle of 'putting oneself in the dominant position', then 'one country, two systems' and 'a high degree of autonomy' will never be realized.
An official of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office recently told the Regional Council's delegation to Beijing that the councils of the lower two tiers could take the through train, but 25% appointed seats would be added. Mr. DENG Xiaoping once said that only a few people's remarks on the Hong Kong issue would count while those made by others were all codswallop. The aforementioned official is not one of the few 'people' mentioned by Mr. Deng, nor is he the successor of any of those few 'people'. Is his remark codswallop then? After the remark was made, the Chinese government neither confirmed nor denied it. What is the Chinese government up to then? In fact, the formation of the future municipal councils has to go through legislative procedure. Now somebody seems to have made a decision before going through such procedures. Where has the spirit of 'rule by law' gone?
The restoration of the appointment system is a retrogressive move. All existing Members of this Council are elected by the public. As you do, Mr. Chairman, Members often speak about the election with pride and affirm their approval of it. If we really mean what we say, we do not need to speak gingerly. On the contrary, we should oppose boldly and strongly the restoration of the appointment system.
Mr. Joseph Chan Yuek-sut supports the idea that all Members remain in office after 1997, and that reflects the aspirations of the Hong Kong people. However,
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