XN000022-1985-01-10 — Page 19

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1985

IF THE GOVERNMENT COULD IMPLEMENT CIVIC EDUCATION EFFECTIVELY, THE LEVEL OF PEOPLE'S POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS COULD BE RAISED WITHIN A SHORT TIME.

ON THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, MS FAN SAID CIRCUMSTANCES HAD ALREADY IMPOSED A TIME LIMIT, SO WE HAD TO COMPLETE OUR TASK BEFORE THE TIME LIMIT AND WE HAD TO SUCCEED BECAUSE WE SIMPLY COULD NOT AFFORD THE PRICE OF FAILURE.

SHE ADMITTED THAT THE FIRST STEP SET OUT IN THE WHITE PAPER WAS A RATHER BIG STEP. YET, GIVEN THE TIME LIMIT, THIS WAS REALLY A FEASIBLE AND PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE IF NOT THE IDEAL AND PERFECT WAY.

+WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE DEVELOPED A MORE MATURE POLITICAL SENSE AND THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF HONG KONG CAN BE PERCEIVED EVEN CLEARER, SHE SAID.

+SO IT MAY NOT BE A WISE MOVE TO LAY DOWN NOW AN OVERALL PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, SHE SA ID.

MRS FAN SAID WE HAD TO LOOK AT THE RESULTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OUTLINED BY THE WHITE PAPER ON THE ONE HAND AND TO GIVE MORE CONSIDERATION TO THE OBJECTIVE CIRCUMSTANCES AND NEW INFORMATION THAT BECAME AVAILABLE ON THE OTHER.

+TO WAIT TILL 1987 TO MAKE THESE IMPORTANT DECISION IS INDEED A CAUTIOUS AND SAFE APPROACH, + SHE SAID.

AVOID UNDUE HASTE, SAYS PAULINE NG

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DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD BE INTRODUCED ONLY WHEN THE POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD REACHED A CERTAIN DEGREE OF MATURITY, THE HON PAULINE NG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE WHITE PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, MRS NG SAID: AT THIS CRUCIAL TIME IN OUR HISTORY, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PUT THE STABILITY OF OUR SOCIETY AT RISK BY INTRODUCING POLITICAL REFORMS WITH UNDUE HASTE.

+WE HAVE COME TO AN AGE WHEN THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD STAND ON THE IR OWN FEET, TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO UNDERSTAND AND

RIVE FOR THE RIGHTS DUE TO THEM, AND BUILD A BETTER COMMUNITY WITH JOINT EFFORTS.

/+IN AN