8
LORD CAITHNESS: YES, WE HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN FIELD, DISCUSSING IT AND PUTTING FORWARD FOR HONG KONG. I KNOW THAT CERTAIN SCHEMES HAVE
INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION INTRODUCED.
THE
THE
BEEN
I BELIEVE I AM RIGHT IN SAYING THAT FRANCE AND GERMANY HAVE GOT SCHEMES GOING; THAT AMERICA ARE CONSIDERING A SCHEME. AND HAVING BEEN HERE NOW AND LEARNT MORE AT FIRSTHAND, I TOO, WILL BE ABLE TO REINFORCE THAT MESSAGE AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL. WHAT EACH COUNTRY DECIDES TO DO, OF COURSE, IS UP TO THEM.
YUE SIN-YUI: BUT ARE SIMILAR SCHEMES COMING, I MEAN?
LORD CAITHNESS: I THINK THE SCHEME WILL DEPEND ON EACH
GOVERNMENT AND HOW THEY WISH ΤΟ DO IT FOR THEIR PARTICULAR
CIRCUMSTANCES.
I CAN'T INFLUENCE THAT, BUT WHAT I CAN DO IS ASK THEM TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG AND TO BE AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE.
YUE SIN-YUT: MEANING, NO SIMILAR SCHEME IS COMING?
LORD CAITHNESS: I DON'T KNOW, THAT IS UP TO EACH GOVERNMENT. MY JOB IS ACTUALLY TO COMMUNICATE THE POSITION OF HONG KONG TO GOVERNMENTS.
YUE STN-YUI: THEN YOU DO JUDGE THAT IT'S NOT SUCCESSFUL? MEAN THAT NEGOTIATIONS
THOSE
I.
THERE
LORD CAITHNESS: NO, I THINK THERE ARE ALREADY SCHEMES. HAVE BEEN SCHEMES BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY; THERE'S A SCHEME BEING DISCUSSED IN AMERICA AT THE MOMENT. QUITE HOW THAT FINALISES AND SHAPES-UP IS YET TO BE SEEN.
KEVIN LAU, HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL: HONG KONG IS HAVING ITS FIRST EVER DEMOCRATIC ELECTION NEXT YEAR, WILL YOU ASSURE US THAT ANYTHING THAT IS ILLEGAL, UNDER THE LONG-ESTABLISHED BRITISH LAW AND CASE LAW ON ELECTIONS, WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED IN HONG KONG'S ELECTION LAWS?
LORD CAITHNESS: I THINK THE RULES FOR THE ELECTION CLEARLY LAID DOWN BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
KEVIN LAU: THOSE LAWS WERE NOT FOR DEMOCRATIC
ARE GOING TO HAVE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
HAVE BDEN HONG KONG SORT OF
ELECTIONS;
WE
LORD CAITHNESS: I THINK THAT THE RULES ARE CLEAR ON THIS, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION WHERE NECESSARY.
/PAUL HARRINGTON, HONG KONG STANDARD: