XN000022-1986-11-05 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1986.

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DEVELOP FAIR, RESPONSIBLE AND RESPONSIVE GOVT

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A DEMOCRATIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT MUST BE FAIR, RESPONSIBLE AND RESPONSIVE, THE HON SZETO WAH TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS,

MR SZETO SAID IT WAS ONLY BY DEVELOPING A FAIR, RESPONSIBLE

AND RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT THAT WE COULD MAINTAIN SOCIAL STABILITY AND PROSPERITY: A STRONG, CARING AND COHESIVE SOCIETY; AND A SOCIETY CONFIDENT IN ITSELF AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.

HE SAID ONLY SUCH A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT AND SUCH A KIND

UNITY OF SOCIETY COULD GROUP TOGETHER THE INTERNAL STRENGTH AND COHESION REQUIRED TO OVERCOME THE UNFAVOURABLE EXTERNAL FACTORS WHICH COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED BY OURSELVES.

+THE KEY ISSUE NOW IS WHETHER THERE WILL BE ANY DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY 1988, HE SAID.

MR SZETO SAID THE 1984 WHITE PAPER HAD MADE SOME DEFINITE CONCLUSIONS, BUT THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS THIS YEAR STATED THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF OPINION AND NO CLEAR CONSENSUS ON MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES.+

IN ONLY TWO YEARS' TIME, THERE HAD BEEN AN OBVIOUS CHANGE AND SIGNS OF WITHDRAWAL IN THE STANCE OF THE ADMINISTRATION, MR SZETO SAID.

HE SAID A GOVERNMENT WITHOUT A FIRM STANCE, A GOVERNMENT WHICH WOULD NOT +PUT INTO PRACTICE WHAT IT SAYS AND SEE TO IT THAT RESULTS ARE ACHIEVED+, AS WELL AS A GOVERNMENT WHICH WAS INCOHERENT IN ITS WORDS, WOULD CERTAINLY DEAL A SERIOUS BLOW AT THE CONFIDENCE OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

MR SZETO ALSO DISAGREED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT THAT THE DRAMATIC PROGRESS WHICH HONG KONG HAS MADE OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES WAS NOT BUILT ON CONFLICT AND TURBULENCE, BUT ON A CONSTANT SEARCH FOR CONSENSUS.+

HE SAID THE 1967 RIOTS, THE ENERGY CRISIS, THE STOCK MARKET CRAZE AND THE 1997 ISSUES WERE ALL EXTERNAL FACTORS WHICH COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED BY OURSELEVES.

HE SAID HE FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT HAD ENABLED THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE TO REFLECT MORE TRUTHFULLY THE VARIOUS VIEWS WHICH ACTUALLY EXISTED IN SOCIETY, WITHOUT AFFECTING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN ANY WAY OR BRINGING ABOUT ANY CONFLICTS AND UNREST.

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