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Mr Patten said the argument on the electoral arrangements was rather crudely and inaccurately portrayed as an attempt to make a great democratic leap forward here in Hong Kong.
In fact, it was actually about the British Government's attempt to honour the undertakings given to the people of Hong Kong in 1984 within the terms of the Basic Law, he said, adding that the dispute was never about breaches of the Joint Declaration or the Basic Law,
"Everything we have done has been in line with the undertakings solemnly accepted by Britain and China.
"Nor can the election of this Council be seen as a midnight conversion to democracy after decades in which there was none," said the Governor.
End
Greatest possible assistance to Chief Executive (Designate)
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The Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, said today (Wednesday) that it was his obligation and his desire to give the greatest possible assistance to his
successor.
"I say that without qualification, save what I have just said about a 'provisional' legislature," Mr Patten said in his 1996 Policy Address to the Legislative Council.
The Governor said he could not now specify in what precise ways the Government would help.
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"My successor will have an agenda and I do not want to pre-empt that. The allocation of office Civil Service will be preparing for the obvious eventualities space, staff and so on and we will be in a position to help, not overwhelm but help, the Chief Executive (Designate) however that assistance is required," he said.
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"The Chief Executive (Designate) will ask, and we will seek to deliver. That is as it should be and that is what the community would want and expect. Naturally, we have conveyed this assurance to the Chinese side."