XN000022-1988-03-16 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1988

GRADUAL AND PRUDENT APPROACH TO EVOLUTIONARY CHANGES

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THE OBJECTIVES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AS SET OUT IN THE WHITE PAPER WERE ENTIRELY AGREED BY THE HON PETER POON TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE DEBATE ON THE WHITE PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, MR POON POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG WAS A UNIQUE PLACE.

THE ADOPTION OF ANY SINGLE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN THE WORLD MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE TO HONG KONG OR IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY.

"I FIRMLY BELIEVE WE SHOULD STRIVE FOR EVOLUTIONARY WITH A GRADUAL AND PRUDENT APPROACH," HE SAID.

CHANGES

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HE SAID HONG KONG HAD NO NATURAL RESOURCES APART FROM ITS HARDWORKING PEOPLE AND THEREFORE SHOULD NOT VENTURE ANY CHANGES WITHOUT THE PEOPLE'S WIDE SUPPORT, AND WITHOUT RECOGNITION OF THE POLITICAL REALITIES AS WELL AS THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY SUCH CHANGES ON THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AND THE SMOOTH TRANSITION TO 1997 AND BEYOND.

HE ADDED THAT THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE IN FAVOUR OF DIRECT ELECTIONS. THE ONLY QUESTION WAS WHEN WOULD BE THE BEST TIME FOR THEIR INTRODUCTION.

MR POON NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A STRONG LOBBY FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988.

"HOWEVER, FROM MY OWN OBSERVATIONS, OPINIONS AND SURVEYS DIFFER AS TO WHETHER THERE IS AN OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR SUCH A MOVE," HE SAID.

AFTER CONSIDERING ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE ACCEPTED THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1991. HE SAID HE WAS PLEASED TO SEE THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT IN THIS REGARD.

HE SAID HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD NOW CONCENTRATE THEIR EFFORTS TO SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATE THE CONCEPT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM,

"WE SHOULD ALSO BE DIRECTING OUR ATTENTION TO THE PROPOSALS THE FORTHCOMING DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY BE BLUEPRINT OF OUR POLITICAL STRUCTURE AFTER 1997,

仲 HE SAID.

IN

THE

/MR POON