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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1988

COMMITMENT TO DIRECT ELECTIONS A SIGNIFICANT STEP

*

THE

SIGNIFICANCE

OF

THE WHITE PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE ΤΟ INTRODUCE DIRECT GOVERNMENT LIES IN THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT ELECTIONS IN 1991 FOR 10 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SEATS, THE HON ALLEN TOLD THE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

LEE

WHITE PAPER, MR LEE SAID HE COMMITMENT WAS A RESULT OF PUBLIC

SPEAKING IN THE DEBATE ON THE BELIEVED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE.

"AFTER

STUDYING THE

THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT OUR COMMUNITY CAREFULLY. I CAN ONLY SAY WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE THAT

HE SAID. IS SPLIT ON THE SUBJECT OF DIRECT ELECTION IN 1988,

RESULTS OF

"

THE

AND HE FELT THAT FACED WITH THIS DIVISION OF OPINION AMONG

HAD MADE A PUBLIC ON THE TIMING OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, THE GOVERNMENT HISTORIC DECISION TO INTRODUCE AN ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1991.

SINCE 1983 "I HAVE FOUGHT FOR A COMMITMENT TO DIRECT ELECTION AND I ADVOCATED THE INTRODUCTION IN 1988. EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOW GOING AM GLAD TO SEE THAT IT HAS FINALLY TO BE IN 1991, I MUST SAY 1 HAPPENED.

"IT MEANS

THAT INSTEAD OF

SPENDING THE

NEXT THREE YEARS

TOWARDS

DIRECT ELECTION DIRECT ELECTION

ARGUING AND SPECULATING OVER WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE OR NOT, WE CAN START WORKING CONSTRUCTIVELY AS A PART OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1991," MR LEE SAID.

ΤΟ

BUSINESS OF IMPROVE THE WAY OUR

"AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT, WE CAN CONCENTRATE ON THE

OF LEGISLATION THE COUNCIL: THE COMMUNITY WORKS.

PASSING

"

PROMULGATED IN 1990, OTHER THAN JUST DIRECT

MR LEE SAID THAT WHEN THE BASIC LAW WAS THERE WOULD BE IMPORTANT ISSUES TO SORT OUT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

FOR

EXAMPLE,

THERE WAS

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EXECUTIVE, AND ENSURING A SMOOTH TRANSFER FROM THE PRESENT SYSTEM TO THE SYSTEM THAT WOULD COME INTO BEING IN 1997.

I

DIRECT ELECTION SHOULD "IT IS VITAL THAT THE SINGLE ISSUE OF

OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT NOT BE ALLOWED TO DISPLACE ALL THE

WE

HAVE TO CONSIDER, MR LEE EMPHASISED.

LEE

WERE NOW USING POINTED OUT

THAT

WHILE EXPRESSING REGRET THAT SOME INDIVIDUALS THEIR POSITION TO DISCREDIT THE GOVERNMENT, MR IT WAS ALWAYS EASIER TO DESTROY THAN TO BUILD.

/"I HOPE

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