XN000022-1988-02-10 — Page 5

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1988

SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS

THIS SYSTEM

CLEAR

OF

OF HONG KONG TO CONTINUE

EVOLVE AND SHOULD BE THE BASIS FOR

THAT THE PEOPLE GOVERNMENT WISHED TO SEE BELIEVED THE PRESENT THREE TIER STRUCTURE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.

"THEY

VALUE

APPROACH GRADUAL THE

AND WHICH

IN

WHICH HAS CHARACTERISED

YEARS

HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT IN RECENT MAINTAINING PROSPERITY AND STABILITY," HE SAID.

SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH WAS CLEARLY

IN THE GREEN PAPER THE MINDS OF MANY WHEN CONSIDERING OPTIONS BEEN THE IMPORTANCE OF ACHIEVING A SMOOTH TRANSITION ACROSS ENSURING THAT DEVELOPMENTS BEFORE THAT DATE WERE COMPATIBLE FRAMEWORK TO BE ESTABLISHED IN THE BASIC LAW.

IN

HAD

1997, BY WITH THE

LED MANY TO ADOPT A CAUTIOUS "THIS FACTOR HAS UNDOUBTEDLY

HE SAID. APPROACH TO CHANGE BEFORE THE BASIC LAW IS FINALISED,'

THE

GREEN

ΤΟ FOR INTRODUCING

PAPER SHOWED DIRECTLY SOME

SIR DAVID SAID THE RESPONSE

IN PRINCIPLE SUPPORT OVERWHELMING ELECTED MEMBERS INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WELL BEFORE 1997.

OPINION IN THE ELECTIONS SHOULD BE

BUT THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT ALSO SHOWED THAT COMMUNITY WAS SHARPLY DIVIDED ON WHETHER DIRECT INTRODUCED IN 1988 OR LATER.

VIEWS HAS BBEN CLEARLY THE MUNICIPAL

SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE DIVISION OF DEMONSTRATED IN DEBATES IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IN COUNCILS AND IN THE DISTRICT BOARDS.

WERE ONF-SIDED,

DIVIDED SHOW THAT VIEWS

"WHILE SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS, NOT SURPRISINGLY, SUBMISSIONS FROM GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS ALSO INDICATE SHARPLY VIEWS AND THE MUCH DISCUSSED PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS ARE FAR FROM UNANIMOUS ON THE QUESTION OF TIMING,

H HE SAID.

COMMUNITY,

WOULD

BE

"IN THE LIGHT OF THIS DIVERSITY OF VIEWS WITHIN THE

IT WHETHER VERY CAREFULLY THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONSIDERED RIGHT TO GO AHEAD TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988.

DIRECT

ELECTIONS

"THE INTRODUCTION OF COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT STEP.

THE INTO

LEGISLATIVE

MUS'T BE

QUITE

CERTAIN THAT "WHEN WE TAKE THIS STEP, WE CARRY WITH US THE WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

WE

"WE BELIEVE THAT IF WE WERE TO PROCEED IN 1988 WE WOULD HAVE NO SUCH ASSURANCE."

WITH DIRECT ELECTIONS

NOT THE RIGHT

YEAR,

"BUT IF FOR THESE REASONS 1988 IS THERE SHOULD BE A CLEAR DECISION ON WHEN THIS IMPORTANT CHANGE IN POLITICAL SYSTEM SHOULD BE MADE."

/SIR DAVID

THEN

OUR