XN000022-1987-07-15 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1987

HE SAID THAT IN A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM, IT WAS UP TO THE GENERAL ELECTORATE TO MONITOR WHETHER THEIR CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS WERE BAFEGUARDED AS PROMISED, WHETHER JUSTICE AND EQUITY WERE DONE, AND WHETHER THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES HAD HONOURED THEIR ELECTION PLEDGES.

"BY REFERENCE TO THE RECENT EXPERIENCES OF THE ELECTIONS TO DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, I AM OF THE VIEW THAT THE GENERAL LEVEL OF POLITICAL MATURITY AND SOPHISTICATION ON THE PART OF THE ELECTORATE DOES NOT MATCH THE DEMAND MADE ON THEM BY A GOVERNMENT SYSTEM BASED ON DIRECT ELECTIONS, CIVIC EDUCATION HAS A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS RESPECT, HE SAID.

**

IN OTHER WORDS, THE AVERAGE MAN AND WOMAN IN THE STREET MUST NOT ONLY HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL, BUT ALSO THE KNOW-NOW TO ASSESS, CENSURE, PROD AND IMPEACH THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES IN RESPECT THEIR PERFORMANCE AND CONDUCT.

OF

ELECTION WERE A

DR HO WENT ON TO SAY THAT IN COUNTRIES WHERE DIRECT BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE WAS PRACTISED, POLITICAL PARTIES SPONTANEOUS FEATURE. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT COULD NOT COUNTENANCE PARTY POLITICS IN HONG KONG AND THAT IT MIGHT ACTIVATE THE COMMUNIST ELEMENTS INTO A PARTY SHOULD POLITICAL PARTIES EMERGE HERE.

THE IMPLICATION OF AN ACTIVE, POWERFUL COMMUNIST PARTY IN HONG KONG'S DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGISLATURE WERE FAR-REACHING, DR HO NOTED.

DR HO SAID PARTY POLITICS WAS ADVERSARIAL AND CONFRONTATIONAL IN CHARACTER. THE IMMEDIATE TASK OF THOSE PARTIES NOT IN POWER WAS TO TOPPLE THE GOVERNMENT. THEY WOULD FIND FAULT WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES, HARASS THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS* BEHAVIOUR, DISCREDIT GOVERNMENT'S DECISIONS AND SHATTER THE PUBLIC'S CONFIDENCE IN TAR GOVERNMENT.

THE END RESULT WAS A SUCCESSION OF CHANGES OF GOVERNMENTS,

A LACK RESULTING IN

OF CONTINUITY OF POLICY.

OF EVIDENCE

THIS UNSTABLE GOVERNMENT WAS ABUNDANT IN COUNTRIES PLAGUED BY A PLURALTY OF POLITICAL PARTIES.

WITHOUT

ON THE OTHER HAND, WHERE DIRECT ELECTION WAS PRACTISED THE ACCOMPANIMENT OF POLITICAL PARTIES, A DIFFERENT SCENARIO WHICH WAS ALSO UNDERSIRABLE, MIGHT LIKELY EMERGE. THERE WAS A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT THE LEGISLATURE WAS COMPOSED OF MEMBERS REPRESENTING ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF PROFESSIONS AND SECTORS.

THIS BY EXACERBATED

THE BARMARKED FOR DIRECTLY

BE

"THIS LOBSIDED PHENOMENON WAS VIVIDLY BORNE OUT BY THE ELECTION OUTCOME OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND DISTRICT BOARDS. STATE OF LOBSIDED REPRESENTATION WILL LIKELY SMALL NUMBER OF SEATS IN THE LEGISLATURE ELECTED MEMBERS, HE SAID.

-

/"IN THE