XN000022-1987-11-04 — Page 21

20

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987

THEY WERE OVER-CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE WELL-MEANT AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS AND SUGGESTIONS OF THOSE WHO WERE OUTSPOKEN ENOUGH ΤΟ CRITICISE GOVERNMENT POLICIES. FOR THIS REASON, MANY IMPORTANT CENTRAL POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEES ARE NOT SUITABLY REPRESENTED.

HE CITED AS AN EXAMPLE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR THE HON SZETO WAH. HE SAID MR SZETO WAS THE ONLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND YET WAS NEITHER APPOINTED A PLACE ON THE EDUCATION COMMISSION NOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

"THIS IS NOT ONLY A DRAIN OF TALENT BUT ALSO AN INSULT AND CONTEMPT TO THE ENTIRE EDUCATION SECTOR, HE SAID,

་་

HE SAID THAT IN FUTURE APPOINTMENTS ΤΟ ADVISORY BOARDS, CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE REPRESENTATIVENESS AND WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT DISSENTING VIEWS OF THE MEMBERS.

+

"ANY ATTEMPTS TO CUT OUT OPPOSITE OR DISSENTING VIEWS FROM THE MEETING, WHETHER UNDER THE PRETEXT OF 'HIGHER EFFICIENCY' 'CONSENSUS' OR AVOIDING CONFRONTATIONAL POLITICS* ARE THE BEGINNING OF A RETROGRESSIVE MOVE AWAY FROM DEMOCRACY. THERE ARE ALSO THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS DICTATORSHIP,"

+

DR LAM NOTED THAT THE GOVERNOR, IN HIS POLICY SPEECH, HAD TALKED ABOUT THE DETERMINATION TO IMPLEMENT FULLY THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION,

"YET YOU HAVE NOT TOLD US HOW THE BRITISH AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL IMPLEMENT THE CONCEPTS OF 'A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY' AND THE 'HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG' HE SAID.

+

HE NOTED THAT PRIOR TO AND AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF THE OREEN PAPER ON THE 1987 REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, THE CHINESE OFFICIALS REPEATEDLY MADE PUBLIC COMMENTS OPPOSING THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988 AND THIS HAD DIRECT INFLUENCE ON PUBLIC OPINIONS.

AT THE SAME TIME, BOTH THE BRITISH AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS KEPT SILENT ON THE ISSUE, GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT THE MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD WERE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT 1N NAME

ONLY, WHILE IN PRACTICE, THEY WERE UNDER THE CONTROL OF CHINA.

HE NOTED THAT AS RECENTLY STATED BY CHINESE OFFICIAL MR JI PENGFEI, THE FIRST CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WOULD BE SELECTED THROUGH CONSULTATION.

"THIS IS A UNILATERAL MOVE ΤΟ ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF SELECTING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE BY ELECTION WHICH IS STATED IN THE SINO- BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION," HE SAID.

/THE DRAFT