XN000022-1985-03-24 — Page 2

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 1985

CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR DB'S

*****

THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE ALL STEPS TO ENSURE THAT THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION WILL BE SUSTAINED, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

AND HE ASSURED THAT THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES WOULD CONTINUE TO RESPOND PROMPTLY AND POSITIVELY TO THE ADVICE OF THE BOARDS.

SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE UNIVERSITY GRADUATES ASSOCIATION, MR LIAO SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE NEW STYLE DISTRICT BOARDS, WITH THEIR OWN CHAIRMEN, WOULD WANT TO TAKE EVEN MORE INITIATIVES AND WORK IN HARMONY TOWARDS THE COMMON GOAL OF ENHANCING THE WELFARE OF LOCAL RESIDENTS.

+MUCH OF THE FUTURE OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION WILL HINGE ON THE CONSCIENTIOUS AND POSITIVE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MEMBERS IN THE FORTHCOMING YEARS, HE SAID.

+LET THERE BE DIFFERENCES BUT NO CONFRONTATION; LET THERE BE DISAGREEMENT BUT NO CONFLICTS, AS THE EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF ANY ASSEMBLY LIES IN THE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN ITS MEMBERS, HE SAID.

IT WOULD ALSO DEVOLVE ON BOARD MEMBERS TO FURTHER DEVELOP AND CEMENT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS, HE ADDED, SO AS TO MAKE THE BOARDS AN EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE ORGAN IN REFLECTING THE VIEWS AND WISHES OF THE PEOPLE.

MR LIAO SAID A SIGNIFICANT DIMENSION OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AT THIS STAGE WAS ITS FURTHER INTEGRATION WITH THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM -- THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

IN SEPTEMBER, THE DISTRICT BOARDS AS WELL AS THE REGIONAL AND URBAN COUNCILS WOULD ELECT MEMBERS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

+TOGETHER WITH THE 350-STRONG ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, THESE BOARDS AND COUNCILS WILL CONSTITUTE A UNIQUE AND SOPHISTICATED POLITICAL MACHINERY PROVIDING FOR BOTH CONSULTATION

AND REPRESENTATION.+

NOTING THAT THERE WAS NO SIMILAR SYSTEM ELSEWHERE, MR LIAO SAID, THIS IS A HONG KONG PRODUCT INGENIOUSLY DESIGNED TO SUIT OUR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES, OUR OWN SOCIETY, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF PRAGMATISM AND PROGRESSIVENESS.+

MR LIAO SAID THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION HAD BEEN STEADY BUT PROGRESSIVE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND A SOLID FOUNDATION HAD BEEN LAID BY THE PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT.

/+WE HAVE