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MARCH 20, 1995

APPOINTED D9 MEMBERS ANNOUNCED SOON

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GOVERNOR

THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT THE NAMES OF APPOINTED DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.

SIR EDWARD WAS REPLYING TO QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS WHEN HE VISITED PENG CHAU THIS AFTERNOON.

ON THE SUBJECT OF THE TRIAL OF COMMERCIAL CRIMES BILL, HE SAID THAT ONE OF THE OBJECTS OF PUTTING THINGS INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS THAT THEY SHOULD RECEIVE FULL PUBLIC DEBATE ON A VERY WIDE BASIS FOR +THIS KIND OF MEASURE AFFECTS QUITE A WIDE GROUP OF PEOPLE, NOT ONLY LAWYERS+.

HE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS A GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO HAD MADE A VERY REASONED ACCOUNT AND EXPLANATION FOR THE BILL.

+ IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE STATEMENT HE MADE THEN. + HE HAS ALREADY ANSWERED MANY OF THE POINTS WHICH HAVE BEEN RAISED IN RECENT DAYS, SIR EDWARD SAID.

ASKED IF HE CONSIDERED AS AN ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT THE RECENT EMERGENCE OF TWO BROADLY-BASED POLITICAL PARTIES, HE REPLIED: +1 WOULD NOT CALL THEM POLITICAL PARTIES YET. I THINK THEY ARE ASSOCIATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOT TOGETHER AND WHO HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS .CN MANY ISSUES. I THINK THAT IS QUITE A HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT.

+ IT IS NOT A SORT OF DUAL-PARTY SYSTEM. IT IS STILL THINK, A DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON IN HONG KONG FOR SOME TIME.

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+ IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THERE HAS BEEN A POLITICAL ASSOCIATION. THERE ARE SOME QUITE OLD-ESTABLISHED POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS, IT IS VERY NATURAL THAT PEOPLE SHOULD GET TOGETHER WHEN THEY HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS.+

ON A PROPOSAL TO ALLOW CIVIL SERVANTS TO STAND FOR ELECTIONS, HE SAID: +WE HAVE GOT TO HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT, BECAUSE IT IS VERY

THAT IS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN A NON-POLITICAL CIVIL SERVICE. ONE OF THE FEATURES OF THE HONG KONG SYSTEM, AS IT IS IN THE SYSTEM F MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD. →

AS PART OF HIS TOUR 31R EDAARD MET RURAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND WAS ALSO HANDED A PETITION BY A GRO

OF RESIDENT-

/HE TOLD