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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1986
+THIS SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT DIVERSITY OF BACKGROUNDS IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THIS COUNCIL, AND YET MAINTAIN A SUITABLE BALANCE OF VIEWS, HE SAID.
THE TOTAL SIZE OF THE LEGISLATURE, HE ADDED, MIGHT HAVE TO BE SOMEWHAT ENLARGED TO ACCOMMODATE THIS DIVERSITY OF MEMBERSHIP.
MR LEE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE GREEN PAPER CONTAINED AN OPTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS ON A TERRITORY-WIDE LIST.
+1 WOULD THINK THAT, IF CONSTITUENCIES ARE ADOPTED FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS, A SYSTEM OF MULTIPLE-SEAT CONSTITUENCIES WITH EXTENSIVE BOUNDARIES MAY YIELD CANDIDATES WITH MORE OBJECTIVE VIEWS AND A MACRO-VISION, HE COMMENTED.
MR LEE ALSO REFERRED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN HONG KONG AND THE MINORITIES ISSUE IN HIS SPEECH.
ON EDUCATION, HE NOTED THAT BOTH THE THIRD UNIVERSITY AND THE COUNCIL FOR ACADEMIC AWARDS WOULD COME INTO OPERATION WITHIN THE NEXT 11 YEARS.
HE SUGGESTED THAT THE NEW UNIVERSITY SHOULD PLACE AN EMPHASIS ON SECOND CHANCE PROGRAMMES SUCH AS PART-TIME DEGREES AND OPEN EDUCATION.
MR LEE SAID HE FELT IT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO EXCLUDE THE TWO POST-SECONDARY COLLEGES, NAMELY LINGNAN AND SHUE YAN, FROM VALIDATION AND ASSESSMENT BY THE HONG KONG COUNCIL FOR ACADEMIC AWARDS AND SAID IT WAS DESIRABLE TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF THESE TWO COLLEGES.
ON THE MINORITIES ISSUE, MR LEE OBSERVED THAT THE PRESENCE OF ETHNIC MINORITIES WAS A DISTINCT FEATURE CHARACTERISING THE COSMOPOLITAN NATURE OF HONG KONG.
+WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO STAY IN HONG KONG OR NOT WILL BE OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE TO PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE,+ HE SAID.
HE SAID HE WAS MOST CONCERNED THAT WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, THE SUBJECT MIGHT BE ALLOWED TO LAPSE FROM MEMORY, HE SAID HE FEARED THAT THE LACK OF FURTHER TALK AND ACTION MIGHT CAST DOUBTS ON THE SINCERITY AND INTENTION BEHIND THE ORIGINAL MOTION BY THE COUNCIL WHICH INCLUDED A PLEDGE OF SUPPORT FOR THE CLAIM OF MINORITIES FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP,
MR LEE SAID HE KNEW FOR CERTAIN THAT THE MINORITIES WANTED TO STAY IN HONG KONG AND CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROSPERITY OF THE TERRITORY AFTER 1997.
+ BUT IN ORDER TO ENABLE THEM TO DO SO WITH CONFIDENCE, THEY NEED SECURE AND CREDIBLE NATIONAL STATUS,+ HE SAID.
+I THINK BRITAIN HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE THIS STATUS, AND I HOPE A FUTURE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL RE-CONSIDER THEIR CASE,+ HE ADDED.
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