24
THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1987
"WHAT IS THE PURPOSE
THEN OF
CREATING AN ODD ASSEMBLY OF APPOINTED, DIRECTLY-ELECTED, AND INDIRECTLY-ELECTED MEMBERS, IF ULTIMATELY THEY ARE ALL MEANT TO CARRY THE SAME RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE THE SAME STATUS AND THE SAME VOTE?
AND
"WHAT ELSE COULD DIFFERENTIATE THE DIRECTLY-ELECTED MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY IF THEY ARE KEPT IN THE MINORITY, FROM THEIR FELLOW-MEMBERS OTHER THAN THEIR CLAIM THAT ONLY THEY TRULY REPRESENTED THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THEREFORE COULD INTRINSICALLY SPEAK WITH GREATER AUTHORITY AND WERE THUS ENTITLED TO MORE RESPECT FOR THEIR VIEWS?
"DOES THIS NOT SUGGEST THAT WE SHALL BE CREATING A PERMANENT OPPOSITION IN THIS COUNCIL WHOSE MEMBERS' ROLE AS FREQUENT OBJECTORS OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND ACTIONS AND OF MAJORITY DECISIONS WILL ALMOST BE THRUST UPON THEM SINCE THEY HAVE TO PROVE TO THE ELECTORATE THAT THEY, AND NOT THE MAJORITY, SPEAK FOR THE POPULATION?"
IT
MR SOHMEN ASKED WOULD THE GOVERNMENT NOT THEN FIND DIFFICULT TO DISREGARD OR OVERRULE THE VIEWS OF THE DIRECTLY-ELECTED MEMBERS WITHOUT RUNNING THE RISK OF BEING SEEN AS INSENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
"AT THE SAME TIME, ARE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CONVINCED THAT BY HAVING A DIRECTLY-ELECTED ELEMENT IN THIS COUNCIL AND THUS ALMOST BY DEFINITION A GROUP OF FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS, WE SHALL SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM, OR HELP THE GOVERNMENT TO AVOID THE 'LAME DUCK LABEL - IN OTHER WORDS, WILL DIRECT ELECTIONS INCREASE GOVERNMENT'S POLITICAL KUDO5?
+
"I DOUBT IT. ON THE CONTRARY, I BELIEVE THAT THE NEED FOR CONSTANT POLITICAL BARGAINING WITH THE POPULIST ELEMENTS то MAINTAIN AN APPEARANCE OF EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT WILL TEND то REDUCE GOVERNMENT'S AUTHORITY AND DECISION-MAKING FLEXIBILITY.
"THE TENDENCY WILL THEN BE TO BOLSTER ITS POSITION AGAIN BY CLOSING BUREAUCRATIC RANKS AND ALSO BY RELYING MORE ON CHINA то SUPPORT ITS DWINDLING AUTHORITY IN DEALING WITH THE OPPOSITION, HE SAID.
"
"WHAT APPEARS TO BE A MOVE TOWARDS GREATER DEMOCRACY COULD THEREFORE TURN OUT TO HAVE THE EFFECT OF PROMPTING MORE AUTOCRATIC RULE.
"WISHING TO AVOID CONFRONTATION AND RETAIN THEIR LEADERSHIP ASPIRATIONS, AND WANTING TO BE SEEN AS CREDIBLE AND OPEN-MINDED CONTRIBUTORS TO THE DEBATE HAVE PROMPTED A NUMBER OF MY HONOURABLE COLLEAGUES AS WELL AS SO-CALLED ESTABLISHMENT GROUPS TO WITHDRAW THEIR EARLIER RESERVATIONS AND TO ESPOUSE THE CONCEPT OF PARTIAL DIRECT ELECTIONS AS AN ACCEPTABLE COMPROMISE, SUBJECT ONLY TO TIMING.
"AS A