37
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993
THERE WILL THEN BE A GREAT DEAL OF WORK TO DO TO ENSURE THAT ORDERLY ELECTIONS CAN BE HELD ON TIME, HE NOTED.
HE SAID:
**WE
MUST TAKE THE VIEWS OF THIS COUNCIL, REFLECTING THE WIDER DEBATE IN THE COMMUNITY.
"WE MAY THEN NEED TO SET THE LAW DRAFTSMEN TO WORK ON DEVELOPING WHAT IS ALREADY COMPLEX DRAFT LEGISLATION.
"WE MUST LEAVE TIME FOR FULL CONSIDERATION LEGISLATION BY THIS COUNCIL.
OF
DRAFT
"AND WE MUST COMPLETE THE PROCESS BY JULY 1994 AT THE LATEST IF WE ARE TO HAVE TIME TO COMPLETE ALL THE NECESSARY FOLLOW-UP ACTION FOR THE ELECTIONS.
111
HE ALSO DESCRIBED AS UNWORKABLE PROPOSALS TO SEPARATE THE 1994 DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS FROM THE 1995 MUNICIPAL COUNCIL AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
THE PROPOSALS AFFECTING BOTH SETS OF ELECTIONS ARE INTER- THEY NEED TO BE CONSIDERED AS A PACKAGE IN THE TALKS WITH AND THEN IN THE LEGCO, HE EXPLAINED,
RELATED. CHINA
"THE CONCLUSION IS CLEAR.
"WE
HAVE LITTLE TIME LEFT IN WHICH TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP OF SECURING AGREEMENT, IF WE CAN, WITH THE CHINESE SIDE, MR PATTEN SAID.
+
ELECTION ACCORD POSSIBLE
THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD GO ON WORKING AS HARD AS IT COULD FOR AN AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG'S CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
MR PATTEN BELIEVES THAT IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE то ACCORD THAT MEETS THE CONCERNS OF BOTH SIDES.
RBACH AN
IN ORDER TO TRY TO WIN AGREEMENT, THE BRITISH SIDE HAS BEEN PREPARED TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL MOVES IN THE TALKS WITH CHINA ΤΟ TAKE ACCOUNT OF CHINESE CONCERNS.
"I WILL LEAVE IT TO THE CHINESE SIDE TO SAY HOW FAR THEY HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO MOVE."
***
BUT HE ADDED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WAS NOT PREPARED TO GIVE AWAY ITS PRINCIPLES IN ORDER TO SIGN A PIECE OF PAPER,
"WHAT WOULD THAT BE WORTH?
"THE PEOPLE