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THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1985
*THIS IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO MAINTAIN THE CONFIDENCE OF INVESTORS IN OUR FREE ENTERPRISE ECONOMY, BY KEEPING SHAREHOLDERS ABREAST OF COMPANIES THEY HAVE INVESTED IN, HE SAID.
+THUS, ACCOUNTANTS' KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF HONG KONG IS BASED ON A FIRST-HAND WORKING KNOWLEDGE AND NOT SIMPLY ON A THEORETICAL OR CONCEPTUAL LEVEL,✦ HE ADDED.
DR CHAM EXPRESSED REGRET OVER THIS OMISSION, AND URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
HE ALSO SUGGESTED WAYS TO ENSURE THAT VOTING RIGHTS WOULD BE EXERCISED, PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS,
+FIRST, NOT ALL QUALIFIED VOTERS WILL REGISTER, IN VIEW OF THIS, I SUGGEST THAT ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS SHOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED,+ HE SAID.
+SECOND, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD EXAMINE THE PRACTICABILITY OF COMPULSORY VOTING IN DIRECT ELECTIONS, THIS IS, TO REQUIRE THAT ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS VOTE ON ELECTION DAY, EVEN IF THEY CAST A VOTE OF ABSTENTION, HE SAID.
GIVEN THE LACK OF VOTING TRADITION IN HONG KONG, DR CHAM BELIEVED THAT COMPULSORY VOTING MIGHT BE A STEP TO INDUCE PEOPLE TO TAKE AN INTEREST WHEN DIRECT ELECTIONS WERE INTRODUCED.
+
FINALLY TURNING TO THE ELECTED PORTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DR CHAM POINTED OUT THAT THE WHITE PAPER DID NOT HAVE A CLEAR INDICATION OF THE VOTE ENTITLEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL ELECTORS WITH DIFFERENT CAPACITIES IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE OR FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, OR BOTH.
*I SUGGEST THAT DUAL-ROLES OR MULTI-CAPACITIES WITH VARIOUS PERMUTATIONS SHOULD BE CLARIFIED, HE SAID.
MOST PEOPLE SUPPORT GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT
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KEITH LAM
THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SUPPORTED THE +PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, THE HON KEITH LAM SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HE SAID HE BASED THIS ON PUBLIC OPINION AS REFLECTED BY THE MASS MEDIA AND AS OBTAINED BY HIMSELF.
+TAK ING ANY ACTION WITH UNDUE HASTE WILL RESULT IN THE TRAGIC EFFECT OF SPOILING THINGS BY EXCESSIVE ENTHUSIASM,+ HE SAID.
/MR LAM