XN000022-1985-01-10 — Page 21

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1985

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1987 REVIEW CRUCIAL, SAYS PETER POON

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THE 1987 REVIEW WILL BE CRUCIAL AS THE WHITE PAPER GIVES, NO FURTHER IDEA AS TO HOW REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WILL BE DEVELOPED AFTER 1988, THE HON PETER POON SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE WHITE PAPER MOTION, MR POON SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THERE WERE PROBABLY GOOD REASONS FOR THAT AND EACH STEP SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AND TESTED CAREFULLY.

+BUT WE ARE LEFT WITH THREE YEARS TO FEEL OUR WAY INTO UNFATHOMED WATERS FOR HONG KONG'S POLITICAL FUTURE, NOT KNOWING WHICH ULTIMATE GOAL SHOULD OR COULD BE ATTAINED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

+NEVERTHELESS, WE SHOULD STRIVE TO DEVELOP A HONG KONG TYPE OF DEMOCRACY', WHICH MUST WORK TO KEEP HONG KONG NOT ONLY AS A STABLE, VIBRANT AND PROSPEROUS CITY BUT ALSO AS A JUST AND FREE SOCIETY, HE SAID.

ON CIVIC EDUCATION, MR POON SAID THIS DESERVED UTMOST AND URGENT ATTENTION.

+THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG MUST BE EDUCATED QUICKLY ABOUT BASIC GOVERNMENT POLITICAL STRUCTURES AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS IN ELECTIONS, HE SAID.

HE SAID HE WAS GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS THINKING OF COMPILING A ROSTER OF ELECTORS WHICH WOULD ENABLE ALL REGISTERED VOTERS TO VOTE AT ELECTIONS EVEN IF THEY HAD NOT REGISTERED VOLUNTAR ILY.

HE FELT THAT MUCH MORE SHOULD BE DONE BY THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF AND SUGGESTED LAUNCHING AN INTENSIVE PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON THE ELECTION ASPECT OF CIVIC EDUCATION BY MEANS OF SIMPLE PAMPHLETS, RADIO AND TV PROGRAMMES AND DOCUMENTARIES.

+WHILE I AGREE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE SEEN TO BE TELLING THE PEOPLE WHAT TO DO, SUCH A CAMPAIGN CAN BE MADE INTERESTING AND EDUCATIONAL FOR THE PUBLIC AS OTHER SUCCESSFUL DOCUMENTARIES HAVE BEEN.

+SINCE THE NEXT DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS WILL BE IN

MARCH 1985, WE SHOULD ACT SOON, HE SAID.

ON THE LIST OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, MR POON SAID IT WAS HIGHLY REGRETTABLE THAT THE ACCOUNTANCY PROFESSION WAS MISSING, AS ACCOUNTANTS MADE A CONSIDERABLE CONTRIBUTION TO HONG KONG AS A LEADING FINANCIAL CENTRE.

+1 WOULD URGE THAT, IN THE REVIEW IN 1987, IF IT IS DECIDED THAT THERE WILL BE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTED BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THE ACCOUNTANCY PROFESSION BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED TO BE A DESIGNATED FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY, HE SAID.

/AS REGARDS