WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1984
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SO THERE WAS A BACK STOP+. THAT WAS TO SAY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG MAY NOT BE IN A POSITION TO INSIST ON CHANGES IN THE AGREEMENT, BUT THEY ALWAYS HAD THE OPTION OF REJECTING IT AND ACCEPTING THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES.
HE SAID THE NEED TO HAVE THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WAS PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY GETTING IT.
THE HON SELINA CHOW SAID IT WAS ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO CONTINUE TO SPEAK UP NOW ON WHAT ELEMENTS THEY REGARDED AS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO CONSTITUTE AN ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT AS THEY HAD BEEN TOLD THAT ONCE THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WAS ANNOUNCED IN SEPTEMBER THERE WOULD BE NO CHANCE OF AMENDING ANY PART OF IT AND HONG KONG WOULD HAVE TO EXPRESS ITS ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF THE AGREEMENT AS AN ENTIRE PACKAGE.
SHE CONSIDERED IT OF VITAL IMPORTANCE FOR HONG KONG TO BE ASSURED OF THE CONTINUITY OF THE GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM, THE CENTRAL CORE OF ALL HONG KONG'S SYSTEMS.
SHE SAID IT SHOULD BE STATED IN THE AGREEMENT AND EVENTUALLY ENSHRINED IN THE BASIC LAW THAT THE GOVERNMENTAL
SYSTEM WHICH WOULD BE IN PLACE BY 1997 WOULD CONTINUE TO BE ADOPTED BY THE AUTONOMOUS HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION AND WOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN OR BEYOND 1997 WITHOUT THE INITIATION AND APPROVAL OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE.
THE HON CHAN YING-LUN SAID EVERY CITIZEN HAD THE OBLIGATION
TO TAKE UP THE ISSUE OF THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
+ IF WE WANT THE CONCLUSION TO BE DRAWN BY THE ASSESSMENT OFF ICE TO BE ACCURATE AND REPRESENTATIVE, WE MUST ADOPT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE,+ HE SAID.
AS, AT THIS STAGE, WE DEFINITELY COULD NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF AMENDING SOME OF THE CONTENTS OF THE ANNEXES, WE SHOULD, THEREFORE, GRASP THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK OUT,
NOT ONLY SHOULD WE STUDY THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO LOOK INTO THE DETAILS OF THE ANNEXES.
WITH THE BELIEF THAT NO DIFFICULTY IS INSURMOUNTABLE IF ONE SETS ONE'S MIND ON IT+, WE SHOULD POINT OUT BOTH THE GOOD POINTS AND THE BAD ONES.
OTHERWISE, IF WE WERE TO CHOOSE ONLY BETWEEN THE OPTION OF +YES+ AND +NO+, IT WOULD BE FAR MORE CLEAR-CUT TO HOLD A REFERENDUM.
/+THEREFORE, I