XN000022-1987-07-15 — Page 31

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1987

"IT IS ON THESE BASIC PREMISES THAT THE BUILDING OF OUR FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE MUST BE BASED. WE MUST HAVE FAITH IN THE GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SERVICE STRUCTURE THAT HAS BROUGHT SUCH GOOD RESULTS TO HONG KONG OVER THE YEARS. WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH MORALE AND EFFICIENCY OF OPERATION.

"FOR THE BEST WAY OF MINIMISING EFFECTIVELY POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE FROM CHINA IN FUTURE LIES IN HOW WELL WE CAN PERFORM IN ACHIEVING THE TWIN GOALS OF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY,

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"IN MY VIEW KEEPING THE PRESENT CIVIL SERVICE STRUCTURE AND EFFICIENCY OF THE ADMINISTRATION IS THE KEY FOR WITHOUT THE PRESENT CIVIL SERVICE STRUCTURE HONG KONG CANNOT BE WHAT WE ARE TODAY AND WITHOUT THEM HONG KONG WILL CERTAINLY BE WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE IN FUTURE. THEREFORE NO SYSTEM SHOULD BE DEVELOPED IF IT WILL HAVE A DAMAGING EFFECT ON THE AUTHORITY AND EFFICIENCY OF THE

ADMINISTRATION.

די

HE SAID: "IN THE PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY THAT WE HOPE ΤΟ LIVE IN HONG KONG I RECOGNISE WE MUST HAVE A BALANCE REPRESENTATION WITHIN THE LEGISLATURE AND IT IS IN THE PRINCIPLE OF PROVIDING BALANCE IN THE LEGISLATURE THAT 1 PROPOSE WE SHOULD CONSIDER SERIOUSLY HAVING AN ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTION, SAY 25 PER CENT MAXIMUM, IN FUTURE.

"THIS ELEMENT SHOULD REPLACE A PRESENT GEOGRAPHICALLY BASED ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM. HOWEVER, THE TIMING OF DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN 1992. TO INTRODUCE THESE EARLIER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH TIME FOR HONG KONG TO PREPARE FOR SUCH A CHANGE IN THE QUEST OF SEEKING MORE BALANCED RESULTS.

"FURTHERMORE HOLDING DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1992 WOULD ALLOW HONG KONG MORE TIME FOR SUFFICIENT, DEVELOPED, AND DETAILED PREPARATION FOR COMMON SUFFRAGE.

-

"HONG KONG HAS NEVER HAD DIRECT ELECTIONS FOR ITS LEGISLATURE ELECTIONS OF ANY KIND, IN FACT, ARE A VERY RECENT DEVELOPMENT. YET HAVING INTELLIGENT, EFFECTIVE DIRECT ELECTIONS REQUIRES AN ADVANCED STAGE OF CIVIC EDUCATION. BOTH VOTERS AND CANDIDATES MUST BE POLITICALLY MATURE.

FOUR

"RELATIVE TO THE LONG TERM FUTURE WE ALL HAVE TO FACE YEARS IS VERY SHORT INDEED. IS IT THEREFORE TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR JUST A SHORT PERIOD TO PREPARE OURSELVES BETTER FOR OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR FUTURE?"

MR CHEONG SAID ONE NEED NOT LOOK FAR FOR COUNTRIES WHICH

THE PREMATURELY WENT FOR

CONCEPT OF WESTERN

"THEIR DEMOCRACY. ECONOMIES DEVELOPED INTO CHAOS BECAUSE THEY WERE THRUST TOO SOON THE POLITICAL STORM."

INTO

"ECONOMIC CHAOS,