XN000022-1987-07-16 — Page 26

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THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1987

"AS A MEMBER OF THE SO-CALLED ESTABLISHMENT I AM NATURALLY EXPECTED TO FALL IN LINE. BUT I CONTINUE TO REGARD THIS LIMITED ACCEPTANCE OF DIRECT ELECTIONS ONLY AS THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS AND NOT AS THE BETTER ALTERNATIVE THAT IS STILL AVAILABLE TO US?"

I

MR SOHMEN SAID THE REFORMERS BEYOND EXTOLLING THE VIRTUES OF "ONE-MAN ONE-VOTE" HAD YET TO DEMONSTRATE HOW A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE WOULD ALLOW US TO DO EVEN BETTER, WOULD HELP STRENGTHEN HONG KONG'S ABILITY TO ATTRACT FUNDS AND COMPETE INTERNATIONALLY, WOULD STOP EMIGRATION, OR MAINTAIN THE HIGH LEVEL MOTIVATION OF HONG KONG'S WORKING POPULATION.

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HE SAID HE STRONGLY BELIEVED THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS, ESPECIALLY PARTIAL DIRECT ELECTIONS, WERE NOT THE BEST FORMAT TO ACHIEVE THIS REPRESENTATIVENESS AND AT THE SAME TIME CREATE A STRONG, UNIFIED AND

RESPONSIBLE BODY.

"IT IS A GREAT PITY THAT THE ISSUE OF DIRECT ELECTIONS HAS BECOME SO EMOTIONAL, 80 MUCH A MEASURE OF THE DEGREE OF FUTURE AUTONOMY AND SUCH A SYMBOL OF HONG KONG'S ABILITY ΤΟ RESIST ANY CONSCIOUS ATTEMPT OF INTERFERENCE FROM OUTSIDE HONG KONG.

"DIRECT ELECTIONS PROVIDE NO IMPROVED SAFEGUARDS FOR AUTONOMY BUT ON THE CONTRARY LEND THEMSELVES QUITE EASILY TO "PATRIOTIC FRONT" MOVEMENTS OF THE TYPE WE HAVE SEEN COMING TO POWER IN EASTERN FOR EXAMPLE, AFTER WORLD WAR II.

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EUROPE.

MR SOHMEN SAID: "IT SEEMS GENERALLY AGREED THAT WE SHALL CONTINUE TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997, AND THE GREEN PAPER CERTAINLY DOES NOT SUGGEST OTHERWISE.

"APART FROM LOCALISING THE CIVIL SERVICE, WE MUST UNDOUBTEDLY DEVELOP LOCAL POLITICAL LEADERSHIP, BUT THIS CAN ALSO BE DONE WITHOUT A FUNDAMENTAL REFORM OF OUR CURRENT POLITICAL SYSTEM AND WITHOUT A FURTHER FRAGMENTATION OF POLITICAL POWER THROUGH THE CREATION OF ANOTHER CLASS OF DIRECTLY-ELECTED LEGISLATORS WITH UNTESTED PEDIGREES, LIMITED STAYING POWER, AND A TENDENCY TOWARDS RADICALISATION.

"THE DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT IN HONG KONG IS DISORGANISED AND SPLINTERED, ITS LEADERS ARE NOT UNITED. IN A SOCIETY AS PRAGMATIC AS HONG KONG'S, IT IS NOT AT ALL CERTAIN THAT THE DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENTS WILL PRODUCE THE FUTURE LEADERS ACCEPTABLE ΤΟ A MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION HOWEVER MUCH THEY MAY TRY."

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