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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1989
"I AM SURE THAT THOSE WHO ARE TASKED WITH THE HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY OF PRODUCING A FRAMEWORK FOR HONG KONG WHICH WILL DO MUCH TO SHAPE HONG KONG WELL INTO THE NEXT CENTURY, WILL AGAIN SHOW THEMSELVES TO BE WILLING TO LISTEN AND RESPOND, HE SAID.
T
ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. SIR DAVID SAID THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN ITS PRESENT FORM HAD SERVED HONG KONG WELL.
"MEMBERS REPRESENT A WIDE VARIETY OF INTERESTS AND POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS, BUT IT IS USUALLY POSSIBLE TO REACH CONSENSUS ON
THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY AND ΤΟ MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS THE ACCEPTANCE OF SENSIBLE AND PRAGMATIC SOLUTIONS.
AND
"BUILDING ON THE FIRM FOUNDATION OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS WELL. UNDERSTOOD BY ALL. WILL HELF TO ENSURE CONTINUITY STABILITY IN THE TRANSITIONAL YEARS. SIR DAVID SAID.
SIR DAVID
AS TO THE FUTURE COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATURE. SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS NOW A WIDELY HELD VIEW IN HONG KONG THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SOMEWHAT FASTER PACE OF DEVELOPMENT THAN WAS ENVISAGED IN THE 1988 WHITE PAPER. AND THE GOVERNMENT HAD SAID THAT THIS VIEW WOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN REACHING THE FINAL DECISION ON THE MAKE UP OF THE 1991 LEGISLATURE.
"MANY MEMBERS HAVE SPOKEN IN FAVOUR OF THE EARLY ACCEPTANCE BY THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE OMELCO PROPOSAL ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1991. THIS PROPOSAL HAS ATTRACTED SUPPORT FROM MOST DISTRICT BOARDS AND FROM THE WIDER COMMUNITY.
FOR
"A DECISION ON THE 1991 LEGISLATURE WILL BE TAKEN IN SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE ENACTMENT OF ELECTORAL LEGISLATION AND OTHER PREPARATORY WORK. THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID.
WORK ON BILL OF RIGHTS MOVING SPEEDILY
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THE CHIEF SECRETARY. THE HON SIR DAVID FORD. SAID LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY WEDNESDAY THAT WORK ON THE BILL OF ITSELF HAS MOVED AHEAD SPEEDILY.
IN
THE RIGHTS
HE SAID THAT DRAFTING INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN ISSUED. AND A DRAFT WAS UNDER PREPARATION.
"THE INTENTION IS TO RENDER RIGHTS SET OUT IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS JUSTICIABLE IN OUR COURTS SO FAR AS PRACTICABLE SO THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO FEEL THAT RIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED WILL BE ABLE TO INITIATE ACTION THROUGH THE COURTS TO SEEK REDRESS.
/"PARTICULAR CARE