XN000022-1988-03-16 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1988

"I WILL STAY IN HONG KONG AND DO WHAT BELOVED HOME TOWN IN THE HOPE THAT EVERYONE CAN PROSPERITY, HE SAID.

I

CAN то SERVE MY LIVE IN PEACE AND

DEALING WITH THE WHITE PAPER, HE SAID HE FULLY SUPPORTED THE SPIRIT IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT DEVELOPED THE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM.

HE SAID THE PROPOSAL TO REPLACE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE SEATS WITH DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS WAS LOGICAL AND PROGRESSIVE. AND YET SOME POEPLE HARPED ON THE ARGUMENT THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT GIVING DISTRICT BOARDS DUE RESPECT.

HE SAID THEIR ARGUMENTS DID NOT HAVE A WELL THOUGHT OUT AND LOGICAL BASIS.

IF BOTH DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE SEATS WERE PROVIDED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IT WAS PROBABLY THAT THE BALANCE IN REPRESENTATION, WHICH WAS SO VITAL TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MIGHT BE UPSET.

MR CHEONG SAID THAT THE CHAPTER ON DIRECT ELECTIONS IN THE WHITE PAPER WAS WELL-PRESENTED, EXCEPT THAT IT FAILED TO GO INTO THE DETAILS RELATING TO IMPLEMENTATION.

HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO CARRY OUT PUBLIC CONSULTATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND WORK OUT THE DETAILS SO THAT A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION COULD BE BUILT.

RAISED BY ANOTHER ALLOWING DIFFERENT

HE ALSO SUPPORTED THE POINT WHICH HAD BEEN COUNCILLOR THAT CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN ΤΟ FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES TO HAVE DIFFERENT LIMITS OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE 1988 LEGCO ELECTIONS.

THE REASON WAS THAT THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS VARIED WITH DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES.

MR CHEONG OBSERVED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WERE ONLY CONCERNED WITH DIRECT ELECTIONS, AND THEREFORE THEY WERE TEMPTED TURN TO CHAPTER 4 OF THE WHITE PAPER FOR AN ANSWER.

TO

BUT FOR HIS PART, HE FOUND PARAGRAPHS 2, 3 AND 4 OF THE "INTRODUCTION" IN CHAPTER 1 MOST INSPIRING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING. IN ONLY A FEW HUNDRED WORDS, THESE PARAGRAPHS SET OUT IN PLAIN AND CONCISE LANGUAGE THE UNIQUE SITUATION OF HONG KONG.

"IT IS MY WISH THAT ALL OF US WOULD PONDER ON THE MEANING OF THESE FEW PARAGRAPHS AND THINK HARD ABOUT THE PROPER COURSE WE SHOULD TAKE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE OF MAINTAINING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG OVER THE NEXT 60 YEARS, SAID.

HE

/TO ACHIEVE