XN000022-1987-07-16 — Page 22

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THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1987

"I BELIEVE THAT ANY KIND OF POLITICAL CHANGE MUST BE PROCEEDED WITH CAUTIOUSLY AND IN STEPS.

"WE ALL RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANCE OF BASIC LAW AND CHANGES BEING INTRODUCED.

CONVERGENCE BETWEEN THE

"ALTHOUGH IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS WILL CONSTITUTE AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE ELECTION PROCESSES TO THE LEGISLATURE IN THE BASIC LAW, THE CHANCE OF NOT HAVING DIRECT ELECTIONS IS NOT ABSOLUTELY ZERO.

NEXT

"IF WE INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS INTO OUR LEGISLATURE YEAR, AHEAD OF CHANGES YET TO BE DRAFTED AND RECTIFIED BY THE BASIC LAW, WE MAY TAKE THE RISK - REMOTE PERHAPS, BUT NEVERTHELESS GRAVE ONE OF INITIATING A PROCESS WHICH WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO BRING TO A HALT SHOULD THE NEED ARISE, WITHOUT CAUSING A GREAT DEAL OF DISRUPTION TO OUR STABILITY.**

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PROFESSOR POON SAID VOLATILE AS HONG KONG

WAS, IT COULD NOT AFFORD TO TAKE ANY POLITICAL GAMBLE AS WHAT WAS AT STAKE WAS THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF A COMMUNITY OF WELL OVER FIVE MILLION PEOPLE.

"IT SEEMS TO ME MORE PRAGMATIC AND WISER TO TAKE A CAUTIOUS OR 1992 SO THAT OUR EMBRYONIC DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION CAN HAVE TIME TO DEVELOP TO POLITICAL AND SOCIAL MATURITY BEFORE TAKING THIS BIG LEAP FORWARD," HE SAID,

APPROACH BY POSTPONING DIRECT ELECTIONS UNTIL, SAY, 1991

HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT IF THE REPORT THE SURVEY OFFICE FINALLY PRODUCED SHOWED THAT A CLEAR MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG DID FAVOUR SOME FORM OF DIRECT ELECTION IN 1988, THEN HE WOULD AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE MAJORITY VIEW BECAUSE IT WOULD OTHERWISE BE LETTING HONG KONG PEOPLE DOWN IF THEIR OPINION WAS NOT IN ANY WAY RESPECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT WHICH ASKED FOR IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THE

"IF DIRECT ELECTION IS TO BE INTRODUCED IN 1988, I SUPPORT SUGGESTION THAT IT SHOULD PREFERABLY BE INTRODUCED IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE TO REPLACE ITS PRESENT SYSTEM OF INDIRECT ELECTION."

ON OTHER OPTIONS, PROFESSOR POON SAID HE SUPPORTED SOME REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED MEMBERS IN 1988 BUT IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO REDUCE FURTHER THE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL MEMBERS.

HE ALSO SAID THAT TWO TO FOUR NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES SHOULD BE CREATED WITH THEIR OWN SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

"A NEW CONSTITUENCY FOR ACCOUNTANTS, AND AN EXTRA SEAT FOR ENGINEERS AND ASSOCIATED PROFESSIONS CONSTITUENCY SHOULD BR SERIOUS CONSIDERATION."

THE GIVEN

/REGARDING THE