XN000022-1988-03-17 — Page 3

2

1

THURSDAY, MARCH 17,

1988

PROMULGATED "IN ADDITION, BY 1991 THE BASIC LAW WILL HAVE BEEN AND THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE STRUCTURE OF THE HONG KONG SAR GOVERNMENT WILL BE KNOWN.

OF

"AS THE WHITE PAPER EXPLAINS, WE SHALL NEED TO TAKE ACCOUNT

OUR SYSTEM OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE BASIC LAW IN FURTHER DEVELOPING GOVERNMENT IF WE ARE TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN 1997.

TO

"MAJOR ISSUES REMAIN TO BE RESOLVED SUCH AS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS AND THESE WILL NEED BE CONSIDERED AGAINST THE PROVISIONS OF THE BASIC LAW,"

THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW WAS A MATTER FOR GOVERNMENT, BUT THAT GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO CONSULT THE HONG KONG ON THE FIRST DRAFT WAS MOST WELCOME.

THE CHINESE PEOPLE OF

INVITATION

"I HOPE THE PUBLIC WILL RESPOND TO THAT SAME ENTHUSIASM WITH WHICH THEY HAVE RESPONDED TO THE GREEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.

WITH THE PAPER ON

TURNING TO OTHER POINTS RAISED BY MEMBERS, SIR DAVID SAID THE HON JACKIE CHAN, THE HON MARTIN LEE AND OTHERS HAD ACCUSED THE GOVERNMENT OF BETRAYING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG BY IGNORING PUBLIC OPINION AND BREAKING PROMISES.

NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. ANYONE WHO HAD STUDIED THE WHITE PAPER COULD SEE THAT VERY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION HAD BEEN GIVEN TO PUBLIC OPINION AND EVERY PROMISE MADE IN THE 1984 WHITE PAPER HAD BEEN HONOURED.

"I WOULD REPEAT THAT ANY BROKEN THE PROMISES IN THE 1984 SAID.

SUGGESTION THAT THIS GOVERNMENT НАЗ WHITE PAPER HAS NO BASIS IN FACT," HE

"AND ON THE MANY OTHER POINTS THAT MR LEE HAS MADE, AT CONSIDERABLE LENGTH, IT IS NOT THAT HE HAS NOT HAD THE ANSWERS: IT SIMPLY THAT HE IS NOT PREPARED TO LISTEN TO THEM.

IS

1

"IT IS DIFFICULT TO REGARD ALL THESE ACCUSATIONS OF BAD WHICH ARE COMPLETELY UNJUSTIFIED, AS ANYTHING MORE THAN RESORT OF THOSE WHO HAVE FAILED TO GET THEIR OWN WAY.

FAITH, THE LAST

"THEY CERTAINLY DO NOTHING TO FURTHER THE INTERESTS PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. I STRONGLY REFUTE THE ACCUSATIONS."

OF

THE

OF

THE HE

DR THE HON CONRAD LAM HAD SUGGESTED THAT THE RECEPTION WHITE PAPER WITHIN THE COUNCIL WAS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OUTSIDE, SAID.

/"I CANNOT