TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1993
1.
GOVT STILL HOPES TO HAVE POLITICAL REFORM TALKS
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT STILI. HOPES THAT THERE CAN BE TALKS EVEN AFTER THE DISAPPOINTING TURN OF EVENTS AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER THIS (TUESDAY) MORNING'S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING, THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT WAS HONG KONG'S POSITION SINCE HE ANNOUNCED, ON THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, THE DECISIONS ON THE GAZETTAL OF THE POLITICAL REFORM PROPOSALS AT THE END OF LAST WEEK.
"WE SET OUT AT THE END OF THE WEEK OUR POSITION AND NO ONE HAS QUESTIONED ITS INHERENT REASONABLENESS,
"NOBODY'S SUGGESTED
HE SAID.
WHERE WE WERE GOING TOO FAR IN WHAT WE
SAID. SO, THAT IS THE POSITION.
POSITIVELY
AND
"WE WILL CONTINUE TO SET OUT OUR POSITION AS CONSTRUCTIVELY AS POSSIBLE IN A CALM AND COOL TONE OF VOICE BUT NOT WITHOUT PRINCIPLE AND NOT WITHOUT DETERMINATION TO WORK FOR THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND TO WORK FOR THE INTERESTS, THE LONG-TERM INTERESTS OF EVERY FAMILY IN HONG KONG.'
"
ASKED ABOUT THE REASON FOR NOT GOING AHEAD AND TABLING THE BILL NOW, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "WE DISCUSSED THAT THIS MORNING AND CONCLUDED WHICH I THINK IS SENSIBLE, THAT WE SHOULD TAKE THAT DECISION, HAVING TAKEN THE JUDGMENT ON THE MEASURES THAT ARE BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND HAVING TAKEN ACCOUNT OF OTHER DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL.
[
MR PATTEN SAID THE PREPARATION OF LEGISLATION WAS A STEADY
PROGRESS.
T
"FIRST OF ALL, IT REQUIRES THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO ENDORSE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS AND THAT HAPPENED IN EARLY FEBRUARY AFTER WHICH WE HAD THESE FIVE WEEKS OF NOT YET SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TALKS AND YOU HAVE THE PROCESS OF THE GAZETTAL AND THEN IN DUE COURSE, TAKING ACCOUNT OF WHAT IS IN FRONT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, YOU HAVE THE DECISION TO INTRODUCE THE BILL TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID.
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WHEN ASKED TO RESPOND TO REMARKS BY THE CHINESE PREMIER, MR LI PENG, THE GOVERNOR SAID WHATEVER THE WORDS USED ABOUT HONG KONG, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF KONG POSITIVELY AND CONSTRUCT IVELY.
** T WANT TO WORK HARD. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WANTS то HARD FOR THE ORDINARY FAMILIES, THE ORDINARY PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THEIR INTEREST THAT WE HAVE IN MIND, HE ADDED.
HONG
WORK
IT'S
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