XN000022-1983-02-04 — Page 4

FRIDAY, FEBRULEK

* 1983

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THOUGH THE ANALOGY MIGHT BE AN OVER-SIMPLIFICATION, COMPARED WITH SOME OF THE STONE-AGE ECONOMICS BEING ADVOCATED BY APPARENTLY RESPONSIBLE POLITICIANS TODAY, IT WAS THE ESSENCE OF WISDOM, MR DORWARD REMARKED.

HE RECALLED THAT THERE WAS A LONG-STANDING DEFENCE AGAINST PROTECTIONIST ABUSES IN THE FORM OF AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT.

+1 REFER TO THE GATT, THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE, WHICH SAYS THAT TRADE BARRIERS SHOULD BE FAIR, TRANSPARENT AND EQUALLY APPLIED. IT MAKES NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN MAJOR TRADING POWERS AND THE IR SMALLER PARTNERS AND OBLIGES EACH TO TREAT THE OTHER WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION.

*BUT OF COURSE IT DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK THAT WAY AND THERE ARE THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO LEGITIMISE EXCEPTIONS SO THAT SO-CALLED SELECTIVE ACTION CAN BE TAKEN. IN THEORY THIS COULD BE JUSTIFIED. BUT IN PRACTICE IT IS LIKE THAT OLD SAYING THAT THE LAW IN PARIS APPLIES EQUALLY TO THE RICH AND THE POOR. THEY ARE BOTH PROHIBITED FROM SLEEPING UNDER THE BRIDGES.

MR DORWARD THEN QUOTED FROM A SPEECH HE HAD MADE TO THE ASSEMBLED TRADE MINISTERS OF THE GATT COUNTRIES LAST NOVEMBER

IN GENEVA.

+ IT IS ONLY BY A GENUINE AND MANIFEST DEDICATION ON THE PART OF THE MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS TO RESPECT TO THE FULL THEIR OBLIGATIONS WHEN DEALING WITH WEAKER PARTNERS THAT SUCH

IMPROVEMENTS AS MAY IN FACT BE NECESSARY IN THE GATT SYSTEM CAN BE MEANINGFULLY DEVISED.+

DB ELECTORS CAN VOTE IN UC ELECTIONS

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MORE THAN 568 000 RESIDENTS IN HONG KONG AND KOWLOON WILL BE ABLE TO CHOOSE THE IR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES IN THE MARCH 8 URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

THE FIGURE INCLUDES ALL THOSE WHO HAD REGISTERED AS VOTERS FOR THE URBAN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS DURING LAST YEAR'S REGISTRATION EXERCISES.

A CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION SPOKESMAN STRESSED TODAY THAT PEOPLE LIVING IN THE URBAN AREAS WHO HAD ENTERED THEIR NAMES INTO REGISTER OF ELECTORS COULD CAST THEIR VOTES IN BOTH DISTRICT BOARD AND URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

THE ORIGINAL ELECTORATE FOR THE COMING URBCO ELECTIONS IS 708 119. HOWEVER, ONLY ONE NOMINATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN EACH OF THE WAN CHAI, WONG TAI SIN SOUTH AND KWUN TONG WEST CONSTITUENCIES AND THE THREE CANDIDATES ARE AUTOMATICALLY DECLARED ELECTED.

HENCE,