27
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1987
DIRECT ELECTION NOT PANACEA
DIRECT ELECTION MUST NOT BE REGARDED AS THE PANACEA то ALLAY FEARS ABOUT POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE FROM CHINA AFTER STEPHEN CHEONG, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY
1997, THE (WEDNESDAY).
HON
SPEAKING ON THE MOTION ON THE GREEN PAPER, MR CHEONG SAID BECAUSE "IT SIMPLY CANNOT REALISTICALLY PROVIDE MUCH RELIEF IF AND WHEN THE SOVEREIGN STATE DECIDED ΤΟ ACT IRRATIONALLY OR IRRESPONSIBLY,"
"WE NEED ALSO TO GUARD OURSELVES AGAINST FALLING INTO AN EMOTIONAL TRAP OF SIMPLY AGREEING TO DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988 BECAUSE WE NEED TO SHOW SOME COLOURS TO CHINA," HE SAID.
"SUCH ACTIONS WOULD NOT BE PRODUCTIVE TOWARDS MAINTAINING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG.
"IN FACT, THE DIVISIVE ATMOSPHERE ALREADY CREATED IN HONG KONG OVER THIS ISSUE WOULD TEND TO ERECT MORE OBSTACLES ΤΟ THE CRUCIAL NEED OF DEVELOPING BETTER UNDERSTANDING AMONGST THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. IT CERTAINLY HAS NOT HELPED IN PROMOTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG.
MR CHEONG POINTED OUT THAT POLITICAL CHANGE MUST FOLLOW POPULAR POLITICAL AWARENESS AND NOT PUSHING FOR CHANGE FOR THE SAKE OF CHANGE, OR FOR THE SAKE OF IDEALS OR FOR THE NOTION OF DEMOCRACY AGAINST COMMUNISM.
"IT IS A FACT THAT HONG KONG IS STILL AT A STAGE EDUCATION IS JUST THE BEGINNING," HE SAID.
WHERE CIVIC
"COMPARED WITH POPULAR DEMOCRACIES OF EUROPE OR AMERICA, THE POLITICAL AWARENESS OF HONG KONG IS BARELY AWAKENING FOR THERE IS STILL WIDESPREAD APATHY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY ON POLITICAL ISSUES.
"
HE SAID A RECENT SURVEY REPORTED FAIRLY WIDELY IN THE MEDIA CONFIRMED THIS REALITY.
THE SURVEY WAS CO-SPONSORED BY A DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER AND UNDERTAKEN IN A HOUSING ESTATE WHICH HOUSED OVER 19,000 PEOPLE; IT FOUND THAT OF THE 3,500 QUESTIONNAIRES SENT OUT, ONLY 52 RESPONDED, AND OF THE OVER 250 PEOPLE APPROACHED FOR STREET INTERVIEWS, ONLY 45 BOTHERED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
"OUT OF THE 45 WHO RESPONDED TO QUESTIONS, 36 PEOPLE EITHER DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF THE GREEN PAPER OR THEY HAD NOT READ IT. ALSO, THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW THE PRESENT LEGCO IS BEING CONSTITUTED.
/"WHEN ASKED