XN000022-1988-04-26 — Page 9

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TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1988

REITERATING THE VIEWS EXPRESSED RECENTLY BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR TAKE DAVID WILSON, MR JOHNSON SAID THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM SHOULD FULL ACCOUNT OF THEIR VIEWS AND THEIR ASPIRATIONS.

WITH THE PUBLICATION SOON OF THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, DEBATE OVER CURRENT AND FUTURE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG WOULD NO DOUBT CONTINUE AND EVEN INTENSIFY, MR JOHNSON SAID.

"WE HAVE SEEN IN THE RECENT PAST THE EMERGENCE OF INCREASING SUPPORT AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. THIS IS NATURAL AND RIGHT. IT IS BOUND UP WITH, AND A NATURAL OUTCOME OF PROGRESS IN OTHER AREAS.

BETTER

PAID, BETTER TRAVELLED THAN THEY

"HONG KONG PEOPLE TODAY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER FED, BETTER EDUCATED, BETTER HOUSED AND WERE, SAY, 20 YEARS AGO.

"THIS ALL MEANS THAT THEY ARE MORE AWARE OF WHAT GOES ON ELSEWHERE, MORE AWARE OF THEIR RIGHTS, MORE CONSCIOUS OF THEIR ASPIRATIONS, MORE ARTICULATE AND MORE READY TO MAKE THEIR VIEWS HEARD BY THE AUTHORITIES. THIS AGAIN IS TO BE EXPECTED, MR JOHNSON SAID.

1+

NOTING THAT THIS EMERGENCE OF A POLITICAL AWARENESS IN HONG KONG IS A VERY RECENT DEVELOPMENT, MR JOHNSON SAID: 'ALTHOUGH IT OF SEEMS STRANGE TO SAY SO TODAY, THE INITIATIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT A MORE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM IN THE EARLY

OR MORE FROM THE GOVERNMENT AS FROM THE PUBLIC.

1980'S

CAME AS

MUCH,

HE POINTED OUT THAT OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS HONG KONG HAD MOVED FROM A SITUATION IN WHICH THERE WAS NO ELECTED MEMBERSHIP IN ANY OF THE MAJOR ORGANS OF GOVERNMENT (EXCEPT FOR THE URBAN COUNCIL) TO ONE IN WHICH THERE WAS AN ELECTED ELEMENT IN THE 19 DISTRICT BOARDS, IN THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS, AND IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

"THE CHANGES IN 1991 WILL NOT BE THE END OF JOHNSON CONTINUED.

THE STORY," MR

"THE JOINT DECLARATION ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE LAYS DOWN THAT ALL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS WILL BE ELECTED AFTER 1997.

AND

"ALTHOUGH THE PRECISE METHOD OF ELECTION IS NOT SPECIFIED, WILL NO DOUBT BE THE SUBJECT OF MUCH DEBATE IN THE COMING MONTHS, THIS ALONE IMPLIES FURTHER CHANGES."

/HE NOTED