WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1986
HE REMINDED THE COUNCIL THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE BROUGHT UP IN A SYSTEM OF THE RULE OF LAW WHICH MEANT THAT EVERY PERSON WAS EQUAL IN THE EYES OF THE LAW.
+A VERY NATURAL APPLICATION OF THIS PRINCIPLE IS TO GIVE ONE VOTE TO EVERY ADULT CITIZEN OF HONG KONG, WHETHER RICH OR POOR,+ HE SAID.
MR LEE POINTED OUT THAT THE PRESENT FREEDOMS ENJOYED IN HONG KONG WERE SAFEGUARDED BY A VERY DEMOCRATIC BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND HE QUESTIONED WHETHER THE SAME FREEDOMS COULD BE GUARANTEED IN 1997.
HE SAID HE REFUTED THE ARGUMENT THAT HONG KONG DID NOT NEED A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT TO PRESERVE THESE FREEDOMS AS LONG AS THE RULE OF LAW AND AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY WERE ENSURED.
+ IF THE RULE OF LAW AND OUR INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY ARE TO REMAIN WITH US IN THE YEARS AHEAD, THEN WE MUST HAVE AN EXECUTIVE BODY THAT IS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE, SO THAT THOSE IN POWER HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE LAW, KNOWING THAT THEY ARE THERE BY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE EXPRESSED THROUGH A DEMOCRATIC ELECTORAL PROCESS, + HE SAID.
HE NOTED THAT SOME PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING SOME COUNCILLORS, HAD BEEN CASTING DOUBT ON THE VALUE OF DEMOCRACY, ALTHOUGH BOTH THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS HAD ACKNOWLEDGED ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE JOINT DECLARATION.
+FOR BOTH CHINA AND GREAT BRITAIN REALISE THAT WE NEED A DEMOCRATIC AND REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN THE SAR, SO THAT IT CAN EXERCISE THAT HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR CAPITALIST SYSTEM SEPARATE FROM THE COMMUNIST SYSTEM, + HE SAID.
MR LEE ARGUED THAT DEMOCRACY WAS NOT THE ANTITHESIS OF PROSPERITY AS WAS SUGGESTED.
HE SAID THAT THESE WHO WERE OPPOSED TO DEMOCRACY HAD PROPOSED A FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE FOR HONG KONG WHICH WOULD PRESERVE THE IR VESTED INTERESTS, BY MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO HAVE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FORMATION OF THE GOVERNMENT, AND BY MAKING SURE THAT THE SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF LEGISLATORS WOULD REMAIN IN THE HANDS OF THE RICH.
HE SAID THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING INHERENTLY DANGEROUS ABOUT A POLITICAL SYSTEM WHICH ENSURED THAT THE RICH WOULD CONTROL THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY BECAUSE THOSE IN POWER WOULD THEN GOVERN FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT.
HE SAID SUCH A GOVERNMENT WAS BOUND TO BE CORRUPT WHICH WOULD KILL HONG KONG'S IMAGE AS AN INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE AND RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM BY OVERSEAS INVESTORS.
/MR LEE