XN000022-1985-11-27 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1985

MR LEE SAID THEIR TERM OF OFFICE WAS ONLY FOR THREE YEARS AND ASKED HOW THEY COULD BE FAITHFUL TO THEIR OATH TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CONSCIENTIOUSLY AND TRULY IF THEY DID NOT ADDRESS THEIR MINDS TO THE MOST BURNING QUESTION OF THE DAY+.

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+OF COURSE, WE WILL LISTEN TO THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG: BUT IT MUST BE RECOGNISED THAT ONLY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN TELL US WHAT TO DO.

+NOBODY ELSE CAN, HE SAID.

MR LEE APPEALED TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHO CARED FOR THEIR FUTURE TO SPEAK UP NOW AND LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAD THEIR SUPPORT IN INTRODUCING DIRECT ELECTION IN 1988.

HE CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT HE HAD SAID THESE THINGS BECAUSE, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, HE TOO WANTED TO SEE THIS IDEAL OF +ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS+ SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED IN HONG KONG.

+1 DO NOT INTEND TO BE CONFRONTATIONAL WHEN I SAID WHAT HAS TO BE SAID.

+ IT IS FROM THE HEART - NOT ONLY MINE, BUT ALSO THOSE OF MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO SHARE THE COMMON OBJECTIVE OF WORKING OUT A BRIGHT FUTURE, NOT ONLY FOR OURSELVES, BUT FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN.

+ I KNOW WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER,+ HE SAID.

'PEOPLE PREFER TO CHOOSE THE IR OWN SPOUSE'

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A LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR TODAY (WEDNESDAY) LIKENED DIRECT ELECTION TO CHOOSING ONE'S SPOUSE BY ONESELF AND INDIRECT ELECTION TO FINDING ONE'S SPOUSE THROUGH A MATCHMAKER+,

THE ANALOGY WAS DRAWN BY THE HON LEE YU-TAI WHEN SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

+ALTHOUGH THE FORMER WAY OF MARRIAGE SUFFERS A RELATIVELY HIGHER DIVORCE RATE THAN THE LATTER, PEOPLE TODAY STILL PREFER THE FORMER METHOD AS IT ALLOWS THEM TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN SPOUSES.

+ IT IS THEREFORE, EASY TO SEE HOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CHOOSE BETWEEN DIRECT AND INDIRECT ELECTIONS, HE SAID,

+

AR LEE SAID HE HOPED TO SEE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, TOWARDS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ELECTED SEATS AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A MORE DIRECT ELECTORAL SYSTEM WHICH WERE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NATURAL PROCESS OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT.

/HE ALSO