- 4.
I should perhaps mention one other. All of us want to make certain that we have as smooth a transition for the civil service as possible. You know and the community knows that we have one of the best civil services anywhere. We have a civil service of exemplary professionalism. We have a civil service which has been We have some clean and has given Hong Kong good service over the years. outstanding local civil servants who are now moving in to all the senior positions of government and it should be everybody's concern to ensure that their morale is as high as possible. The questions which are asked, I don't say this in a provocative way, it is a statement of fact, the questions that are asked don't concern what happens before June 30, 1997, the questions are about what happens from July 1, 1997. The more those questions can be responded to in a positive, quiet, constructive way, the better. One more question.
Question: That means you have detected that there are threats to undermine the existing authority or your concern are ungrounded?
Governor: No, I've just stated what I think should be not a condition but a recognition of the importance of good government to Hong Kong's well-being and that is that the authority of Hong Kong's government have to remain as high as possible and this year, next year, the year after and beyond. It doesn't do anybody any good to try to undermine the credibility of government.
Question: Governor, a couple of Legislative Councillors have expressed the decision not to stand in this year's Legco election and some of them have said that they lost confidence in Chinese rule in future and because there is no through train. Do you think that this kind of feel will prevail and affect the competition and representation.... in the coming elections. ...?
Governor: No, I think that there would be vigorous campaigns for all the elections just as there were for the district board elections and I very much hope that people in Hong Kong whether it's candidates or campaigners or above all is voters will make clear during the course of the year their commitment to representative government in Hong Kong. It's what has been promised to the people of Hong Kong in the Joint Declaration and the best way of ensuring the survival of Hong Kong's values, the survival of the rule of law and the survival of the sort of government and the sort of society which people enjoy in Hong Kong. It's for people to make it clear through their own actions, through their own votes, through their own behaviour that those are things which greatly and deeply concern them. I think they do.
Question: Return to the OPS...
Governor: I said one more question. You are imaginative.