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THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1987
"WHICH QUARANTEES CAN THE PROPONENTS OF MORE RADICAL REFORM OFFER THAT CHANGES TO OUR POLITICAL STRUCTURE WILL MAKE THE TRANSITION TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997 SMOOTHER RATHER THAN MORE DIFFICULT?
"AND IF IT WAS TRUE, AS SOME MAINTAIN, THAT THESE REFORMS WOULD NOT IN ANY EVENT DISTURB THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL, OR COMMERCIAL EQUILIBRIUM IN HONG KONG, THEN WHY THE URGENCY то EFFECT CHANGES BEFORE THE BLUEPRINT FOR THE LONGER-TERM FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY 19 AGREED UPON?"
MR SOHMEN SAID: "IF THE REFORMERS TRULY BELIEVED THAT THE BASIC LAW WILL IN ANY EVENT PROVIDE FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS, THEN WHY THE HASTE IN FORCING THE PACE NOW - DOES THIS PRESSURE NOT IN ITSELF IMPLY A MEASURE OF DOUBT THAT THE BASIC LAW COULD COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT SOLUTION, 30 THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO GET A FOOT IN THE DOOR?
LOSK THE 1991 OR BUT IS IN TUNE
"OR ARE OUR POLITICAL ACTIVISTS AFRAID THAT IF THEY MOMENTUM NOW, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE A PITCH AGAIN IN 19927 CLEARLY THEIR POLITICAL CREDIBILITY WOULD THEN SUFFER THIS A GOOD ENOUGH REASON TO ACCEPT SOLUTIONS THAT ARE NOW WITH THE PRESENT REALITIES GOVERNING THE HONG KONG SITUATION?"
HE SAID HONG KONG WOULD NEVER BE A SOVEREIGN ENTITY EFFORTS TO PRETEND OTHERWISE WOULD BE DOOMED TO FAILURE.
FOR
AND ANY
HE SAID HONG KONG HAD TO ACCEPT LEGAL CONSTRAINTS ON ITS SCOPR SELF-DETERMINATION IN A DEMOCRATIC FASHION, INCLUDING RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON THE POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEGISLATURE TOWARDS A FUTURE CENTRE OF POLITICAL POWER.
MR SOHMEN SAID THE CHIEF SECRETARY, IN INTRODUCING THE GREEN PAPER TO THE COUNCIL, HAD SAID THAT ALL OPTIONS CONTAINED WERB GENUINE AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NO PRE-CONCEIVED IDEAS AS TO THE MERITS OR DEMERITS OF EACH.
"THIS MANY WELL BE TRUE BUT HIDES THE FACT THAT THE OPTIONS THEMSELVES ARE LIMITED BECAUSE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS MUCH LESS ROOM TO MANOEUVRE ÎN 1987 THAN IT HAD IN 1984, WHEN EXPECTATIONS OF DIRECT ELECTIONS WERE FIRST RAISED.
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"THERE IS NO MENTION AS TO WHERE CHANGES MADE IN ELECTORAL SYSTEM WOULD ULTIMATELY LEAD. THERE 13 REFERENCE AS THERE WAS IN THE 1984 GREEN PAPER REPRESENTATIVE ELEMENT IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, OR то DEVELOPMENT OF A MINISTERIAL SYSTEM WHICH - AS THE NOW SAID IN HER SPEECH IN THE 1984 DEBATE
1988 то THE CERTAINLY NO TO A GREATER THE POSSIBLE SENIOR MEMBER
SHOULD BE THE "LONGER-TERM THAT THEIR ELECTED
OBJECTIVE" IN ORDER TO CONVINCE PEOPLE REPRESENTATIVES WOULD HAVE REAL INFLUENCE.
"WHAT IS