WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1985
21
MR LEE SAID HE COULD NOT SEE HOW IT COULD BE SUGGESTED THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTION COULD BE SAID TO CONTRAVENE THE JOINT DECLARATION.
ALTHOUGH THE JOINT DECLARATION DID NOT SAY THAT THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD BE BY DIRECT ELECTION, IT DID NOT PROHIBIT IT EITHER, HE SAID.
+ OF ALL THE CAPITALIST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD THAT HAVE ELECTIONS, THE GREAT GREAT MAJORITY HAVE DIRECT ELECTION, WHICH IS ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE THE BEST MODE OF ELECTIONS.
+AND SINCE THE JOINT DECLARATION SPECIFICALLY PROVIDES THAT HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE ITS CAPITALIST SYSTEM FOR 50 YEARS BEYOND 1997, IT IS ONLY LOGICAL TO EXPECT THAT THE METHOD OF ELECTIONS SHOULD FOLLOW THAT OF MOST OTHER CAPITALIST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, HE SAID.
MR LEE SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT ONCE INTRODUCED, DIRECT ELECTION WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE EVEN TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHO HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT IT NOW.
+ BUT WHETHER IT WILL REALLY BE A SUCCESS OR NOT, IT IS OUR ONLY HOPE AND NO ONE HAS POINTED TO A BETTER WAY WHICH WOULD GIVE OUR FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT THAT HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY, HE SAID.
HE SAID THIS EXPERIENCE OF DIRECT ELECTION IN 1988 MUST BE BENEFICIAL TO THE MEMBERS OF BOTH THE DRAFTING AND CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES OF THE BASIC LAW BECAUSE THEY COULD JUDGE FOR THEMSELVES WHETHER THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCE WOULD SHOW DIRECT ELECTION TO BE A SUCCESS OR FAILURE.
MR LEE SUMMARISED HIS SPEECH IN THE FORM OF THE FOLLOWING
EQUATION:
PROSPERITY AND STABILITY = 1 COUNTRY 2 SYSTEMS
- NO INTERVENTION = EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT ANSWERABLE TO PEOPLE - FULLY ELECTED LEGCO (AT LEAST 25 PER CENT DIRECT)
=
AND I SUGGEST IT IS ALREADY CONTAINED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, HE SAID.
+1 CALL THIS 'THE EQUATION OF SUCCESS'
MR LEE STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST NOT BE FORCED INTO INACTION DURING THESE VITAL FEW YEARS, AND WAIT FOR THE BASIC LAW TO BE PROMULGATED.
+FOR THE DIRECTION OF OUR FUTURE POLITICAL REFORM IS ALREADY SET OUT IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD NOT PROCEED IN THAT DIRECTION EVEN NOW.
+LIKEWISE, MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL MUST NOT BE FORCED INTO SILENCE AND PREVENTED FROM DEBATING OR CONSIDERING OUR FUTURE POLITICAL REFORMS, + HE SAID.
/MR LEE