XN000022-1988-03-17 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1988

HE ADDED: "WE DO NEED UNITY OF PURPOSE IF WE ARE TO STEER HONG KONG THROUGH THE YEARS WHICH LIE AHEAD.

"I HOPE AND TRUST WE CAN NOW FIND THAT UNITY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLANS CONTAINED IN THE WHITE PAPER

DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: THE WAY FORWARD',

J

IN

THE

'THE

-

THE MOTION THAT THE COUNCIL TAKE NOTE OF THE PLANS AND INTENTIONS CONTAINED IN THE WHITE PAPER WAS PASSED BY VOICE VOTE.

DIRECT ELECTION IN 1991 A SOUND MOVE

AND

DIRECT ELECTION IN 1991 REPRESENTS THE BEST THAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN PROVIDE AT THIS STAGE IN VIEW OF THE CONSTRAINTS LIMITATIONS OF HONG KONG'S UNIQUE POLITICAL SITUATION, DR THE CHIU HIN-KWONG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).

HON

SPEAKING ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE DEBATE ON THE WHITE PAPER ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, DR CHIU SAID THE GOVERNMENT COULD HARDLY BE BLÅMED FOR TAKING A CAUTIOUS STEP TOWARDS THE INTRODUCTION OF POLITICAL CHANGES AT A TIME WHEN IT WAS UNSURE WHETHER THE CHANGES WOULD PUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AT RISK.

"THOUGH THE TIMING OF THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTION IN 1991 DOES NOT MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF EVERYBODY, SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT EVEN THIS DECISION IS HARD TO COME BY, HE NOTED.

HOW TO CONSOLIDATE AND LEGALISE THE HARD-WON DIRECT ELECTION ELEMENT IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM WAS AN URGENT TASK AND IT WAS UP TO LEGCO MEMBERS TO MAKE IT WORK EFFICIENTLY, HE SAID.

DR CHIU SAID HE HAD CONSIDERED 1988 THE BEST TIME FOR INTRODUCING NEW POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS, BUT HE WAS DISHEARTENED BY THE UNSATISFACTORY VOTING RATE IN LAST WEEK'S DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS AND FELT THAT CIVIC EDUCATION SHOULD BE STEPPED UP.

ON THE WHITE PAPER'S PROPOSAL TO ENLARGE THE EXISTING MEDICAL FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY TO EMBRACE HEALTH CARE TEAMS, HE SAID THIS WAS WARMLY WELCOMED BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SECTOR.

DR CHIU ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AMONG MEMBERS MIGHT GIVE THE PUBLIC AN IMPRESSION THAT LEGCO WAS SPLIT AND THAT A SPLIT LEGISLATURE MIGHT NOT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS TRANSITIONAL PERIOD.

"SINCE WE HAVE A COMMON OBJECTIVE, WHY DO WE, INSTEAD OF GOING FORWARD IN A FRIENDLY AND CO-OPERATIVE

MANNER, WASTE OUR VALUABLE TIME ON SOME MINOR QUESTIONS?" HE ASKED.

DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS SHOULD NOT TURN INTO PERSONAL

HE ADDED.

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CONFLICTS,