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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1986
DEMOCRACY WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE COPIED FROM OR APPLIED TO ANYWHERE. NOR LIKE A SHIRT COULD BE PUT ON AND TAKEN OFF ACCORDING TO THE TEMPERATURE.
+DEMOCRACY HAS TO BE FIRMLY EMBEDDED IN THE PUBLIC MIND AND ANCHORED IN INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO EVOLVE NATURALLY AND BE TESTED OVER TIME, HE SAID.
+EVEN MANY DEMOCRATIC SOCIETIES HAVE DISCOVERED THAT DEMOCRACY IS NOT THE PANACEA FOR ALL EVILS OF MODERN EXISTENCE NOR THE GUARANTEE FOR HAPPIER AND MORE PROSPEROUS LIVES.
+ INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS IN HONG KONG ARE BETTER PROTECTED THAN IN MANY SO-CALLED DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES.
+THERE ALREADY EXIST A WIDE RANGE OF AVENUES FOR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION.+
NOTING THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION SUCCINCTLY PRESCRIBED THAT THE LEGISLATURE SHALL BE CONSTITUTED BY ELECTIONS+, MR SOHMEN STRESSED THAT HONG KONG HAD TO GET ITS PRIORITIES IN ORDER WHEN DECIDING WHAT SYSTEM OF ELECTIONS IT FAVOURED.
HE SAID THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAD YET TO BE CONVINCED THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS AS AT PRESENT ADVOCATED WOULD DO MORE, RATHER THAN DO LESS, FOR THE CAUSE OF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.
HE BELIEVED THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS WOULD MEAN PARTY POLITICS, WITH THE ATTENDANT PANOPLY OF PLATFORMS, CAMPAIGNS, FINANCE SCHEMES, MEMBERSHIP DRIVES AND PATRONAGE.
+ IT IS IN THE VERY NATURE OF POLITICAL PARTIES THAT THEY TRY TO PRODUCE SEPARATE IDENTITIES AND A TREND TOWARDS POLARISATION, THEREBY OPENING UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISSENT AT HOME AS WELL AS FOR MANIPULATION FROM ABROAD.
+SUCH A DEVELOPMENT COULD WELL LEAD US AWAY FROM THE GOAL OF A SOCIALLY COHESIVE AND ECONOMICALLY STRONGER HONG KONG WITH A BETTER CHANCE TO EXPLAIN AND DEFEND ITS AUTONOMY.
+ INSTEAD, IT COULD VERY QUICKLY INCREASE THE PERCEPTION OF POLITICAL RISK AMONG LOCAL AND OVERSEAS INVESTORS, REDUCE THE LEVEL OF PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO THE TERRITORY AND INCREASE THE PRESSURE FOR EMIGRATION, HE SAID.
MR SOHMEN ALSO SAID THAT ALL POLITICAL PARTIES EXISTED TO ATTAIN AND MAINTAIN POLITICAL POWER AND IT WAS NAIVE AND VERY DANGEROUS TO ASSUME THAT POLITICAL GROUPINGS IN HONG KONG WOULD SOME HOW BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY OR COULD SHIELD THEMSELVES MORE EFFECTIVELY FROM OUTSIDE INFLUENCES.
/+THE LOGIC