WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1985
10
CONTINUED PUBLIC VIEWS URGED
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HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD CONTINUE TO GIVE VIEWS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THE HON S.L. CHEN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION ON THE WHITE PAPER IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE URGED PEOPLE TO FORWARD THEIR VIEWS, ESPECIALLY ON PROBLEMS ARISING FROM NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS AND THE FUNCTIONING OF THE FUTURE LEGCO.
+THEY WILL BE USEFUL INPUTS TO THE REVIEW WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE IN TWO YEARS' TIME.
+THE GOVERNMENT, ON THE OTHER HAND, SHOULD CAREFULLY MONITOR OPINIONS EXPRESSED THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD LEADING TO THE REVIEW AND SHOULD EXTEND THE CONSULTATION NETWORK AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE, + HE SAID.
IN HIS CAPACITY AS CONVENER OF THE UMELCO CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS PANEL, MR CHEN SAID HE WAS PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THE PROPOSALS IN THE WHITE PAPER WERE BROADLY IN LINE WITH THE UMELCO RECOMMENDATIONS.
COMMENTING ON THE WHITE PAPER PROPOSAL ON THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS, MR CHEN SAID IT HAD IN FACT BROUGHT FORWARD THE GREEN PAPER PROPOSAL FROM 1988 TO 1985.
+AS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS A REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THE PROPOSED MOVIES, IN MY OPINION, BOTH FAST ENOUGH AND FAR ENOUGH, BUT WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT FURTHER STEPS SHOULD ONLY BE TAKEN ON THE BASIS OF SATISFACTORY PROGRESS, WHICH I AM SURE WILL BE REGULARLY MONITORED AND TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE 1987 REVIEW, HE SAID.
+ IN NO WAY SHOULD WE PRE-EMPT THE FINDINGS OF THE REVIEW, OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE DENYING OURSELVES TWO YEARS VALUABLE EXPERIENCE WHICH WE CAN ILL AFFORD TO LOSE, HE SAID.
ON THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE CHOICE OF FUNCTIONAL GROUPS, MR CHEN SAID IT SHOULD BE SUCH THAT A BALANCED COMPOSITION OF THE FUTURE LEGCO COULD BE ENSURED, SO THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH THE NECESSARY EXPERTISE TO DISCHARGE ITS FUNCTIONS IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER.
+THE UNDERLYING PHILOSOPHY OF ELECTION THROUGH FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WAS THEREFORE TO ENABLE THE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS' TC CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY, RATHER THAN FOR THE INTERESTS OF THOSE GROUPS TO BE PROTECTED IN LEGCO, HE SAID.
+HONG KONG IS FACING AN IMPORTANT CHANGE AND WE NEED TO DEMONSTRATE PUBLIC SPIRIT, NOT SELFISHNESS, HE ADDED.
HE SAID THE WHITE PAPER DID NOT ADDRESS THE QUESTION OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT ELECTIONS, NOR THE FUTURE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE, THE EXECUTIVE AND THE ADMINISTRATION.
+I AM SURE THE GOVERNMENT IS AWARE OF THE URGENCY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE MATTERS AND WOULD GIVE SERIOUS THOUGHTS TO THEM IN THE COMING YEARS BEFORE THE REVIEW IN 1987, + HE SAID.