XN000022-1988-03-16 — Page 4

N

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1988

HE POINTED OUT THAT WITH

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN

THE

A

ELECTED SEATS IN

HAVE MOVED FROM WITH A SIGNIFICANT

10 DIRECTLY 1991.

WOULD HONG KONG LEGISLATURE WHICH WAS ENTIRELY APPOINTED TO, ONE PROPORTION OF DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS IN A MATTER OF SIX YEARS.

SIR DAVID SAID

+

THAT THE

REAL

IN 1988 DIVISION

INTRODUCED

THAT MANY OF THOSE WHO ARGUED NOT INTRODUCING DIRECT ELECTIONS GOVERNMENT WAS WRONG IN SEEMED TO BE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT THAT THERE WAS A VERY OF VIEWS AS TO WHETHER DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD BE OR LATER.

IN 1988

HE QUOTED A NUMBER OF STATISTICS TO SHOW THAT THIS DIVISION VIEWS WAS A FACT.

COUNCIL DEBATE

ON

OF

THE

IN THE LEGISLATIVE

GREEN THE

PAPER, 18 AGAINST, WHILE MEMBERS WERE FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988 AND 18 NUMBERS IN THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS WERE 19 AND NINE AGAINST AND 121 FOR AND 123 AGAINST RESPECTIVELY.

FOR

IN

SOME 1988

SHOWED THAT INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSIONS TO THE SURVEY OFFICE 39,000 PEOPLE WERE IN FAVOUR OF INTRODUCING DIRECT ELECTIONS AND SOME 91,000 PEOPLE WERE AGAINST.

THE 19 PER CENT

AND 352 AGAINST. OF THE GROUP SUBMISSIONS, 229 WERE FOR TWO AGB MCNAIR SURVEYS SHOWED, RESPECTIVELY, 15 PER CENT FOR,

CENT FOR, 21 PER CENT AGAINST IN THE FIRST SURVEY AND 12 PER AGAINST IN THE SECOND SURVEY.

OTHER TERRITORY-WIDE, RANDOM SAMPLE SURVEYS SHOWED A RANGE OF RESULTS, GENERALLY IN FAVOUR OF 1988 ON BALANCE, WHILE SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS WERE ALMOST ALL IN FAVOUR OF 1988.

"IT IS BECAUSE, AND ONLY BECAUSE, OF THIS SHARP DIVISION OF VIEWS ON TIMING THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONCLUDED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988, HE SAID.

"

AS DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE REPRESENTED A MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE, THE GOVERNMENT MUST THEREFORE BE SURE THAT THEIR INTRODUCTION HAD THE CLEAR SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

TURNING TO CRITICISM OF THE TWO OPINION SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY AGB MCNAIR HK LTD, SIR DAVID REPEATED THAT THERE WERE INEVITABLY DIFFERENT JUDGEMENTS ON HOW SURVEYS OF THIS NAUTRE SHOULD BE CONDUCTED.

BUT HE ALSO ADDED THAT COMMENTS ON THE SURVEYS, WHETHER CRITICAL OR OTHERWISE, HAD BEEN FULLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THE SURVEY RESULTS WERE CONSIDERED.

"I WISH TO

EMPHASISE

THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT ALL VIEWS AND NOT JUST ANY PARTICULAR SURVEY OR ANY PARTICULAR FORM OF SUBMISSION," HE ADDED.

/"INDEED IT