XN000022-1985-11-27 — Page 10

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1985

THE DEEP CONCERN OF THE MAJORITY OF OUR POPULACE WAS OVER POSSIBLE FUTURE CHANGES IN CHINA AND NOT OVER WHETHER OR NOT CHINA WOULD ACCEPT A SYSTEM OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, HE SAID.

+WE FEEL LOST AND UNCERTAIN BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID THAT CHINA WILL DEVIATE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM ITS PRESENT COURSE OF POLICIES AND NOT OVER WHETHER OR NOT OUR FUTURE LEGISLATURE WILL BE MAINLY DIRECTLY ELECTED, HE SAID.

+A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR THE SAR GOVERNMENT IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH INDEPENDENCE, NOR WITH THE FREEDOM OF ACTION ONE NORMALLY ASSOCIATES WITH DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT BASED ON UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE.

+ THE FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT WILL ALWAYS WALK A TIGHT ROPE, AND IT WILL CONSTANTLY HAVE TO RECONCILE THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WITH THE INTEREST OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OF CHINA.

NOT TO ACCEPT THIS REALITY IS PLAIN STUPIDITY, HE SAID.

IF WE WERE TO ACHIEVE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WITHIN THIS KIND OF AUTONOMOUS ENVIRONMENT, HE SAID, OUR ECONOMIC PROGRESS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AS OUR TOP PRIORITY WHILE PROGRESS ON OTHER IDEOL ISTIC FRONTS SHOULD BE PURSUED PATIENTLY AND STEP BY STEP.

HE SAID THERE HAD BEEN UNDUE HASTE AS OF LATE ON THE PART OF CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE TO FORCE ONTO THE COMMUNITY A FUTURE FORM OF GOVERNMENT LONG BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE HAD HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW, IN 1987, ITS PRESENT STRUCTURE.

+THE HIGH DEGREE OF EXCITEMENT COUPLED WITH THE CALL FOR DIRECTLY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ACCOMPANYING THE PROPOSED FORMATION OF THE BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE SEEMS TO BE PART OF THAT UNDUE HASTE, HE SAID.

MR CHEONG SAID HE HAD AN OPEN MIND ON DIRECT ELECTION.

HE ADDED THAT HE WOULD EVEN GO SO FAR AS TO POSTULATE THAT AS THE POLITICAL EXPERIENCE OF THE SOCIETY PROGRESSED, IT MIGHT BE DESIRABLE TO HAVE AN ELEMENT OR ELEMENTS OF DIRECT, TERRITORY-WIDE, SINGLE-LIST TYPE ELECTIONS WITHIN OUR FUTURE CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK.

+I AM ALSO IN THE FIRM BELIEF THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF HONG KONG'S UNIQUE SITUATION, WE SHOULD EXAMINE THE MERITS OR DEMERITS OF DIRECT ELECTIONS WITH A PRAGMATIC AND REALISTIC ATTITUDE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT FULLY THE AVOWED COMMON OBJECTIVE OF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY WHILST AVOIDING THE IDEOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL SLANT OF ANY ANALYSIS,

+FURTHERMORE, BEFORE WE CAN COME DOWN ON TO ANY FIRM DECISIONS, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD FIRST RE-EXAMINE THE RATIONALE BEHIND STARTING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT ROUTE WITH INDIRECT ELECTIONS, HE SAID.

WE HAD

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