WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1985
COUNCIL MEMBERS FRANK WITH VIEWS
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GOVERNOR
ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE HONG KONG SYSTEM IS HAVING EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS AS THEY SEE THE INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE WAS RESPONDING TO REPORTERS AFTER TOURING THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT THIS AFTERNOON.
IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS ABOUT MR T.S. LO'S RESIGNATION, HE SAID: +1 ISSUED A STATEMENT YESTERDAY ABOUT MR LO LEAVING THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT STATEMENT THIS AFTERNOON. +
SIR EDWARD SAID MOST OF THE ISSUES WHICH HAD BEEN RAISED HAD BEEN WIDELY DEBATED IN HONG KONG OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR.
+1 WOULD SAY THIS, THAT THE MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AND I THINK BY THAT | MEAN ALL MEMBERS, DO GIVE THEIR VIEWS AND ADVICE VERY COURAGEOUSLY, AND VERY FRANKLY, AND VERY CONSCIENTIOUSLY. AND I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE HONG KONG SYSTEM THAT WE ARE FORTUNATE IN HAVING EXECUTIVE COUNCILLORS AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS, ALL OF THEM, IN EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS AS THEY SEE THE INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY.+
ON A QUESTION THAT THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS DENIED ITS RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS HONG KONG PEOPLE WITH REGARD TO NATIONALITY, HE SAIDI +THE QUESTION OF NATIONALITY HAS BEEN VERY WIDELY DEBATED AND THE VIEWS OF EVERYBODY IN HONG KONG WERE OF COURSE CLEARLY EXPRESSED IN THE ASSESSMENT REPORT WHICH WAS SENT TO THE UK PARLIAMENT. SO THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN VERY WIDE DEBATE ON THAT SUBJECT.+
+1 THINK, AS I HAVE SAID, THE ISSUES WHICH HAVE BEEN RAISED HAVE BEEN WIDELY DEBATED, AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY STATEMENTS ON THE SUBJECT BOTH IN HONG KONG AND BY HMG, AND IN THE UK PARLIAMENT. SO DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY NEW ISSUE BEING RAISED, HE ADDED.
ASKED IF HE THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY ADVERSE REPERCUSSION, HE REPLIED THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE AS IT HAS ALWAYS CONTINUED, AND SO WILL THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. AND AFTERALL, THIS YEAR WE SHOULD BE ENTERING A NEW PHASE WITH THE INDIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SO NO DOUBT, WE SHALL SEE SOME NEW AND UP-AND-COMING LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS APPEARING LATER IN THE YEAR.+
HE ALSO SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO INDICATION THAT OTHER UMELCO MEMBERS WOULD WANT TO RESIGN.
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