THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1990
14
CLOSE AND EAGER PARTICIPATION ADVOCATED
* * *
THE HON JAMES TIEN ADVOCATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (THURSDAY) THE CLOSE AND EAGER PARTICIPATION BY ALL KONG IN THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM.
TODAY
OF SECTORS
HONG
MAN,
ONE VOTE BASE FOR
BETWEEN ALL THE ELECTED MEMBERS, EITHER BY ONE OR BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY, HONG KONG COULD MAKE A SOLID FUTURE PROGRESS, HE SAID.
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE SENIOR MEMBER'S MOTION IN THE
POLITICAL DEBATE ON THE FUTURE
SYSTEM, MR TIEN SAID HE STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE PRINCIPLE OF A BALANCED LEGISLATURE, IN PARTICULAR IN THOSE AREAS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF HONG
KONG, ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT OPPOSE SOME DIRECT ELECTION.
"I URGE GREATER REALISATION OF THE FACT THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIRECT ELECTIONS HERE IS ONLY A MEANS TO AN END. I HAVE SUPPORTED 4-4-2 MODEL AS THE BEST PACE. THAT IS STILL MY VIEW.
IN THE
"I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE SEE GRADUAL, BUT NEVERTHELESS HONG KONG'S CONTEXT, DYNAMIC CHANGE WITH DISAPPROVAL. IT AS 'TOOTHPASTE DEMOCRACY', SQUEEZED OUT BIT BY BIT.
THEY
REFER TO
"BUT CONSIDER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SQUEEZE THE TOOTHPASTE TUBE TOO HARD. THE ANSWER IS A MESS.
H
"FOR MY PART, I FAVOUR PUTTING ONLY AS MUCH TOOTHPASTE
BRIGHT BRUSH AS IS NECESSARY. THE RESULT IS HOPEFULLY A SMILE, HE SAID.
ON THE AND HEALTHY
MR TIEN NOTED THAT THE BASIC LAW HAD PLACED NATIONALITY
MEMBERSHIP RESTRICTIONS ON ELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AND
OF THE
LEGISLATURE, WHICH HE FOUND
BE UNDESIRABLE AND WOULD DETER BUSINESSMEN AND PROFESSIONALS FROM PARTICIPATING IN POLITICS.
WOULD
ON A SEPARATE VOTING MECHANISM, MR TIEN SAID IT WOULD SURELY SUIT THE FUTURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO HAVE DIVISION, ARGUMENT AND CONFRONTATION WITHIN THE CHAMBER AND SO DIVIDE AND RULE, BECAUSE SEPARATE PARTS OF A SINGLE CHAMBER COULD
PROMOTE DISUNITY AND DISHARMONY.
ONLY
HE ALSO SAID THERE WERE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS IN THE MOVE ΤΟ
THE DANGER DIRECT ELECTIONS. AMONG THEM WERE
OF MOVING HONG KONG INCREASING THE TOWARDS BEING TURNED INTO A WELFARE STATE AND
CHANCE OF MORE BUREAUCRACY, WHICH MIGHT
ENTREPRENEURS AND INVESTORS
FROM HONG KONG.
DRIVE
MR TIEN NOTED THAT FOR 150 YEARS HONG KONG DID NOT HAVE DEMOCRACY BUT IT HAD HAD FREEDOM.
HE SAID: "I PREFER FREEDOM TO DEMOCRACY. OFTEN USED AS A SLOGAN, BUT THIS IS TO DEBASE IT.
DEMOCRACY IS ALL TOO
/"FREEDOM IS