FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1993
QUESTION (THROUGH INTERPRETER):
MR GOVERNOR, MY FIRST QUESTION IS: IN MID-AUGUST THERE WAS A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY AN ENGLISH NEWSPAPER AND THE FINDING WAS ABOUT 65 PER CENT OF THOSE INTERVIEWED SUPPORT FULL DIRECT ELECTIONS FOR THE '95 LEGCO. MR GOVERNOR, WHY DON'T YOU GO ALONG WITH PUBLIC OPINION AND HOLD A FULL AND DIRECT ELECTION FOR THE
'95 LEGCO?
MY SECOND QUESTION IS: LAST TIME WHEN YOU HAD THIS 'QUESTION TINE WITH THE GOVERNOR' YOU SAID IF THERE WAS NO DEAL BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN YOU MIGHT NEED TO HOLD AN EVEN LARGER CONSULTATIVE MEETING TO ASK FOR THE PEOPLE'S OPINIONS. IN THIS CASE, WHY DON'T YOU JUST HOLD A REFERENDUM?
MY THIRD QUESTION IS: I READ IN THE NEWSPAPER CHINA AGREED TO SPLIT THE '94 AND '95 ELECTIONS INTO TWO ISSUES. I ASK YOU ONE QUESTION: IF THERE IS AN AGREEMENT REGARDING THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS BUT THERE IS NO AGREEMENT REGARDING THE LEGCO ELECTION, WHAT WILL YOU DO? THANK YOU, MR GOVERNOR.
GOVERNOR:
THAT
MAY
'94 '95
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK YOUR QUESTION AND THE FACT THAT YOUR QUESTION IS ONE WHICH IS EXPRESSED BY SO MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, IS AN INDICATION THAT THE PROPOSALS THAT Ι HAVE PUT FORWARD AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE PUT FORWARD ARE HARDLY RADICAL. I HAVE CONSTANTLY BEEN INTERESTED SINCE I HAVE BEEN IN THIS JOB, BY THE MODERATE WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND OTHERS IN HONG KONG EXPRESS THE WHOLLY UNDERSTANDABLE ASPIRATION TO HAVE A GREATER SHARE IN DETERMINING YOUR OWN DESTINY. SO WHY, WHY WHEN THERE 15 PRESSURE FROM YOU AND OTHERS FOR A TOTALLY DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1995, AM I NOT ARGUING FOR THAT AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE? I'LL TELL YOU WHY, THOUGH YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE IT IF YOU LISTENED TOO MUCH TO THE NCNA. FAR FROM BEING THE TRIPLE VIOLATOR, WHAT I AM ACTUALLY DOING IS NEGOTIATING WITHIN THE AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN REACHED BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA, MOST PARTICULARLY THE JOINT DECLARATION. WHAT THE JOINT DECLARATION PROMISES THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IS A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MADE UP BY ELECTION, AND IT FURTHER PROMISES THEM AN EXECUTIVE WHICH IS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE LEGISLATURE.
NOW I WILL MAKE A CONFESSION. THE JOINT DECLARATION DOES NOT SAY THE ELECTIONS SHOULD BE FAIR, BUT I DON'T THINK THE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED THE JOINT DECLARATION THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE SIGNING A DECLARATION IN FAVOUR OF UNFAIR ELECTIONS. SO THE ARGUMENT BETWEEN OUR NEGOTIATORS AND CHINA'S ISN'T THOUGH UNDERSTANDABLY YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE ABOUT PRESSING FORWARD THE PACK OF DEMOCRATISATION, THE ARGUMENT IS ABOUT WHETHER THE AGREED STEPS TOWARDS DEMOCRACY SHOULD BE FAIR OR UNFAIR.
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/YOU SECONDLY