XN000022-1987-07-15 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1987

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DIRECT ELECTIONS

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A NATURAL STEP' 本章

THE TIMING

THE HON PETER C. WONG SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT THE CONCEPT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED AS A NATURAL STEP IN EVOLUTION OF A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM, AND VIEWS DIFFER ONLY ON THE OF ITS INTRODUCTION.

ON THE

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE MOTION GREEN PAPER, MR WONG SAID THAT WHEN CONSIDERING THE TIMING OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, APART FROM PUBLIC RESPONSE, AT LEAST TWO ISSUES WERE RELEVANT: POLITICAL MATURITY AND THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW.

ON THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE, HE SAID THAT FEW POLITICAL ANALYSTS WERE AGAINST THE CONCEPT OF CONVERGENCE.

"WHICHEVER WAY ONE LOOKS AT IT, CONVERGENCE IS CERTAINLY DESIRABLE, IF ONLY TO AVOID DEVELOPING A POLITICAL SYSTEM WHICH MAY NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE BASIC LAW," HE SAID.

HE NOTED THAT THE ARGUMENT ONE OFTEN HEARD WAS THAT SINCE THE JOINT DECLARATION PROVIDED FOR THE POST-1997 LEGISLATURE TO BE CONSTITUTED BY ELECTIONS, SOME ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1988 WAS NOT LIKELY ΤΟ BE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE BASIC LAW.

"THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE, SINCE ELECTIONS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN DIRECT ELECTIONS," HE SAID.

REGARDLESS OF ONE'S VIEW ON THIS ISSUE, THERE WAS LOGIC IN THE ARGUMENT THAT IDEALLY DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD BE INTRODUCED ONLY AFTER THE PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW AND THUS ENSURED CONVERGENCE. THE IMPORTANT THING WAS THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF DIRECT ELECTIONS WAS ACCEPTED. ITS INTRODUCTION WAS ONLY A QUESTION OF TIMING, HE SAID.

YEARS,

TURNING TO THE QUESTION OF THE POLITICAL MATURITY OF HONG KONG PROPLE, MR WONG SAID THAT DURING THE PAST FEW

HAD HONG KONG DEMONSTRATED A GREAT AWARENESS OF ITS CIVIC RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. MANY BELIEVED THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE POLITICALLY MATURE ENOUGH AND READY TO PARTICIPATE MORE FULLY IN THE PROCESS OF GOVERNMENT.

"IT IS THEREFORE LOGICAL TO CONCLUDE THAT SHOULD THE PUBLIC OPT FOR EARLY INTRODUCTION, THERE IS CERTAINLY A STRONG CASE FOR SOME ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO BE INTRODUCED IN 1988," HE SAID.

/CONVERSELY, IT