WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1985
HK DEVELOPING OWN SYSTEMS
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SIR EDWARD
HONG KONG IS DEVELOPING AND WILL DEVELOP ITS OWN SYSTEMS AND ITS OWN WAY OF OPERATING, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
+AND I DON'T THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THAT SYSTEM WILL FOLLOW A PATTERN OF ANYWHERE ELSE HONG KONG IS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN DEVELOPING ITS OWN SYSTEMS, AND I THINK THAT THAT IS PROBABLY WHAT WILL OCCUR,+ HE SAID.
THE GOVERNOR WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM A REPORTER, AFTER TOURING THE SHAM SHUI PO MARKET, ON WHETHER HE FELT IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR A PARTY SYSTEM TO DEVELOP IN HONG KONG.
HE ADDED THAT WHEN QUESTIONS LIKE THAT WERE ASKED, +ONE WAS REALLY ASKING FOR A THEORETICAL APPROACH.+
ASKED WHETHER HE WOULD ENCOURAGE OR DISCOURAGE THE FORMATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES, SIR EDWARD SAID HE WOULD DO NEITHER.
+ I AM GOING TO WATCH+, HE SAID.
+I THINK WHEN THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETS, WE WILL HAVE THE COMPLETED SYSTEM REALLY - WE WILL HAVE DISTRICT BOARDS, URBAN COUNCIL, REGIONAL COUNCIL, ELECTED MEMBERS OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, FUNCTIONAL MEMBERS ETC -- I THINK THAT WILL DEVELOP ITS OWN PATTERN AND ITS OWN GROUPINGS.
+I THINK THAT A SYSTEM IS STRONGEST WHEN IT GROWS FROM THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH IT IS BASED, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT GROW NATURALLY RATHER THAN TRY TO FORCE IT INTO ANY PARTICULAR PATTERN,+ HE SAID.
AS FOR HIS VIEWS ON A COMMITTEE SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD SAID HE WAS NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND ONE SYSTEM OR ANOTHER.
+THE WHOLE POINT OF HAVING THE NEXT TWO YEARS BEFORE THE 1987 REVIEW IS THAT QUITE A LOT OF IDEAS CAN COME FORWARD, AND PEOPLE CAN GIVE THEIR VIEWS ON THEM.
+AND I DON'T THINK I WANT TO SAY BEFORE 1987 THAT ONE SYSTEM IS GOING TO BE BETTER THAN ANOTHER.+
ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT HAD +TOYED+ WITH THE IDEA OF A COMMITTEE SYSTEM, SIR EDWARD SAID, +1 HAVEN'T TOYED WITH THE IDEA.+
ASKED TO ELABORATE ON A RECENT REMARK BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, THAT IT WOULD NOT BE CONSTITUTIONAL TO DEBATE THE BASIC LAW IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT THAT THE BASIC LAW WAS, BY THE AGREEMENT, TO BE DRAFTED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
/+I THINK