SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1992
GOVERNOR:
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I REPEAT, THERE ARE NO AGREEMENTS THAT BIND THE HANDS OF EITHER PARTY. THE MAIN DISAGREEMENT WAS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS. IF ONE LOOKS, FOR EXAMPLE, AT PAST DEBATES ABOUT FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, WHAT IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR IS THAT BRITAIN ACCEPTED AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES REPRESENTED AN INDIRECT WAY OF ELECTION. 1 ACCEPT THAT FUNCTIONAL
CONSTITUENCIES ARE AN INDIRECT WAY OF ELECTION, AN INDIRECT WAY IN WHICH SUBSTANTIAL GROUPS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG SOCIETY CAN BE REPRESENTED IN THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THAT IS NOT A DIRECT ELECTION, AND THAT'S WHY I'VE PUT FORWARD THE PROPOSALS I HAVE FOR 1995.
I WANT TO SEE US BROADENING THE BASE OF THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN A WAY WHICH CAN AND SHOULD SURVIVE. THAT'S WHY I'VE PUT FORWARD THE PROPOSALS I HAVE, AND THAT'S WHY, UNTIL SOMEBODY SUGGESTS A BETTER SET OF PROPOSALS, I REMAIN WHOLLY WEDDED TO MINE. BUT I ALSO, BECAUSE I'M SUCH A REASONABLE FELLOW, LIKE EVERYONE
IN THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THAT'S WHY I'M VERY HAPPY TO RECEIVE OTHER PROPOSALS FROM ANYONE.
MR VINCENT CHENG:
THANK YOU MR GOVERNOR. YOU SAID A MOMENT AGO THAT YOU WILL BE TABLING FOR US LEGISLATION FOR OUR DISCUSSION AND ENDORSEMENT AND, AT THE SAME TIME, YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT CONTINUED DISCUSSION WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. MY QUESTION IS, IF WE DO ACCEPT YOUR PROPOSALS, WHEN NEW YEAR COMES, WILL YOU CONTINUE IN YOUR NEGOTIATION WITH THE CHINESE AND, IF THAT'S SO, THEN WE MAY BE PRESENTED WITH OTHER PROPOSALS LATER ON.
GOVERNOR:
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I THINK THE WHOLE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT WE CAN'T CARRY ON THESE DISCUSSIONS UNTIL THE CRACK OF DOOM. WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS FOR THIS COUNCIL IN THE EARLY PART OF NEXT YEAR. BECAUSE OTHERWISE, WE WON'T HAVE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE FOR THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTION. THOUGH THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN CHINESE OFFICIALS AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON THIS PARTICULAR MATTER, ON THEIR GENERAL ISSUES THERE IS THINK NO DISAGREEMENT ON THAT PARTICULAR MATTER. I THINK IT IS RECOGNISED BY OFFICIALS OF THE PRC THAT WE DO HAVE IN THE EARLY PART OF NEXT YEAR TO START THE PROCESS OF LEGISLATION. SO FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, DISCUSSIONS CAN GO ON UNTIL THEN, BUT AT THAT POINT, THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO TAKE A VIEW AND THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS ENTIRELY RIGHT TO IMPLY THAT IT WOULD BE PREPOSTEROUS TO ASK THIS COUNCIL TO TAKE A VIEW ON A SET OF PROPOSALS WHICH ONE THEN CHANGED HALFWAY THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS OR AFTER THE LEGISLATION HAD BEEN PASSED. SO, THE MOMENT OF DECISION FOR THIS COUNCIL WILL COME IN THE EARLY PART OF NEXT YEAR. AND WHEN I PUT PROPOSALS TO THE COUNCIL, THEY WILL HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF ALL THAT HAS BEEN SAID TO ME BY HONG KONG OPINION AND BY OTHERS, THEY WILL HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF WHAT THIS LEGISLATIVE HAS SAID TO ME, AND I NOTED THE DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE A FEW DAYS AGO, AND THEY WILL HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF COURSE ANY ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS THAT I RECEIVE FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS; BUT I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS THUS FAR.
COUNCIL COUNCIL OF
MR TIK CHI-YUEN:
THANK YOU MR GOVERNOR. YOU TALK ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL POLITICAL REFORMS AND YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE GOT THE RIGHT POINT OF BALANCE. NOW, YOU HAVE RECEIVED VERY STRONG OBJECTION FROM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. HAS THAT AFFECTED YOUR VIEW AS TO THE POINT OF BALANCE. MAY I ALSO ASK WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA THAT GOVERN YOUR PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD SO FAR?
/GOVERNOR: