XN000022-1987-11-18 — Page 11

10

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1987

SHE SAID TO ARGUE FOR OR AGAINST

EITHER SYMPATHY ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY WERE REPRESENTATIVE WAS AT BEST OFF THE MARK, AND AT WORST MISLEADING.

"THERE IS QUITE ENOUGH DATA IN THE ENTIRE REPORT FOR CERTAIN OBSERVATIONS TO BE DRAWN WHICH WOULD NO DOUBT HELP US IN ASSESSING WHAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY WANTS."

MRS CHOW SAID THE VOLUMINOUS INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE REPORT POINTED TO A FEW SIGNIFICANT MESSAGES.

FIRSTLY, A LARGE PROPORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY HAD NEITHER THE INTEREST NOR THE KNOWLEDGE IN OUR PRESENT AND FUTURE STATE OF GOVERNMENT. FROM THE VARIOUS SURVEYS, IT WAS SAFE TO ASSUME THAT THIS SEGMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT ONE THIRD TO 40 PER CENT OF OUR POPULATION.

SECONDLY, THERE WAS A SENSE of UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHAT EFFECT CHANGES WOULD HAVE ON OUR IMMEDIATE AND LONG TERM FUTURE, ALTHOUGH IT SEEMED TO BE GENERALLY RECOGNISED THAT HONG KONG COULD WITHSTAND CHANGES WITHOUT SACRIFICING OUR STABLILITY TO AN UNACCEPTABLE DEGREE, AND THAT SOME CHANGES WERE CONSIDERED BOTH NECESSARY AND WELCOME.

THIRDLY, THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY

ENDORSED THE CONCEPT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS.

"THE BONE OF CONTENTION IS THE TIMING OF ITS INTRODUCTION. HERE THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY DISAPPEARS, AND THE COMMUNITY SEEMS FAIRLY SPLIT OVER THE IDEAL POINT."

11

MRS CHOW CITED FOUR SRH SURVEYS WHICH SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A DOWNWARD TREND IN THE SUPPORT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS FROM ABOUT 54 PER CENT TO 42 PER CENT IN THE TWO MONTHS FROM EARLY JULY TO BARLY SEPTEMBER.

AT THE SAME TIME THE PRECENTAGE CALLING FOR NO CHANGE INCREASED FROM 27 PER CENT TO 34 PER CENT, WHILE THOSE WHO

A LITTLE CHANGE DROPPED FROM 30 PER CENT TO 23 PER CENT. HAD NO OPINION OR WERE UNSURE REMAINED AT 40 PER CENT.

OPTED FOR THOSE WHO

"DURING THE DEBATE ON THE GREEN PAPER, I MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT IN SPITE OF ALL MY MISGIVINGS ABOUT DIRECT ELECTION, I WOULD BE QUITE PREPARED TO GO ALONG WITH THE MAJORITY VIEW IF THERE IS CLEAR SUPPORT FOR IT.

1

"TODAY OUR PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN, WHILE ENDORSING DIRECT ELECTION AS A DESIRABLE CHANGE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE, THE MAJORITY

EITHER NOT WILLING OR NOT READY TO INSIST ON DIRECT ELECTION

THEY PREFER TO WAIT. I WOULD GO ALONG."

IS

IN 1988.

/HOWEVER, MRS

qu