SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1993
GOVERNOR ON ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS
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HON
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR, THE RT CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SPEAKING TO THE PRESS AFTER INSPECTING THE ST JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE ANNUAL PARADE AT THE SOUTH CHINA ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION STADIUM:
GOVERNOR: GOOD MORNING.
QUESTION: COULD YOU TELL US YOUR REACTION TO THE EVENT TO DATE?
GOVERNOR: WE HAD, ALAS, ANOTHER SAD AND DISAPPOINTING ROUND, THE 17TH IN THE TALKS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING ABOUT MATTERS WHICH, SHOULD I THINK, BE PRETTY STRAIGHT-FORWARD AND 17 ROUNDS OF TALKS WHICH WE WENT INTO IN GOOD FAITH, THROUGHOUT THOSE TALKS THAT THEY'VE GONE ON FOR WEEKS AFTER WEEKS AND MONTHS AFTER MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN DOING ALL WE REASONABLY COULD TO TRY TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME. WE OFFERED, AS YOU KNOW, DURING THE COURSE OF THE TALKS SIGNIFICANT CONDITIONAL CONCESSIONS BUT ALAS, THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH SIGN OF MOVEMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE. CHRISTOPHER HUM AFTER THIS ROUND OF TALKS IS GOING BACK TO LONDON TO REPORT TO MINISTERS AND MICHAEL SZE AND BOB PEIRCE AND PETER LAI WILL BE COMING BACK TO HONG KONG TO REPORT TO ME AND TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. WE'VE ONLY REALLY AGREED ONE ISSUE SO FAR AFTER 17 ROUNDS. WE HAVEN'T, ALAS, EVEN BEEN ABLE TO AGREE THE STRAIGHT-FORWARD THINGS ON WHICH, I THINK, THERE IS A LOT OF AGREEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND A LOT OF AGREEMENT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SO, YOU CAN IMAGINE THE GAP ON THE BIG ISSUES IS STILL VERY CONSIDERABLE. I THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN VERY VERY PATIENT BUT I THINK THAT PATIENCE IS UNDERSTANDABLY WEARING A BIT THIN. SO, WE'LL BE CONSIDERING THE WAY FORWARD IN A CALM AND MEASURED WAY, WE'LL HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THINGS DEVELOP IN AN ORDERLY FASHION. I STILL HOPE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO PROCEED BY AGREEMENT, WE HAVE CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND WE'LL CARRY THEM OUT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
QUESTION: DO YOU NOW TABLE THE LEGISLATION? IF SO, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IS SUGGESTED THE PROCEDURE
YOUR OWN AGENDA?
C
GOVERNOR: WHAT I NOW DO IS TALK TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND HEAR FROM MICHAEL SZE AND OTHERS ABOUT HOW THIS ROUND OF TALKS WENT. OBVIOUSLY, WE'LL BE TALKING TO MINISTERS IN LONDON AS WELL.
QUESTION: YOU'VE SAID FOR A YEAR THAT A UNIFIED LEGISLATION WASN'T A PIECE OF MEAL AND COULDN'T BE PIECEMEAL AND WE SHOULD HAVE IT ALL AT ONCE. HOW COULD YOU BRING FORWARD LEGISLATION NOW THAT IS BROKEN APART WITHOUT TRYING TO...?
GOVERNOR: WHAT I'VE ACTUALLY SAID AND SAID IT IN A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH YOU AND ME CROWDED OF THOSE WHO ASKED ME THE QUESTIONS IS THAT IT WASN'T A SOLUTION TO TRY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS ELECTIONS ON THE ONE HAND AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS ON THE OTHER BECAUSE, AS I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS, THE REAL TASK OF PRESSURE ON US CONCERNS THE LEGISLATIVE TIMETABLE FOR THE LEGCO ELECTIONS. EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS ELECTIONS WHICH COME FIRST, WE HAVEN'T, I REPEAT, BEEN GIVING DEADLINES BUT THE CALENDER ITSELF PRODUCES THEM AND PRODUCES THEM ELECTIVELY. IN A YEAR'S TIME, WE'LL ALREADY HAVE, AS I SAID TO YOU BEFORE, THE DISTRICT BOARD'S IS A COUPLE OF MONTHS BEHIND US AND WE WON'T BE VERY FAR AWAY FROM THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS. SO, WE'LL PROCEED IN A SENSIBLE WAY AND I CAN PROMISE YOU WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE SENSIBLE AND MEASURED AND WE CERTAINLY WON'T BE MAKING THREATS ABOUT ANYTHING TO ANYONE.
/QUESTION: DO
Pak