XN000022-1988-07-13 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1988

MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THE CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG SAR GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE ΤΟ BE CLEARLY DEMARCATED, KEEPING INTERVENTION BY THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM AND ONLY UNDER PRESCRIBED CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES.

HE ADDED THAT THE BASIC LAW SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO BUILD ON THE PRESENT SYSTEMS SO THAT PERSONAL FREEDOMS WERE PROTECTED AND NOT VIOLATED.

DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL PRACTICES CONSISTENT WITH SOCIAL STABILITY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED IN EVERY WAY, AND INDIVIDUALS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SEEK WITHIN THE LAW WHATEVER THEY WISHED TO DO IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A GREATER SENSE OF PERSONAL FULFILMENT AND HAPPINESS IN LIFE.

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"TOWARDS THIS END, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT ALL THE PROVISIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS' AND THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS' AS APPLIED TO HONG KONG SHALL BE INCORPORATED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, HE SAID.

THE TWO COVENANTS SHOULD THEN BE ATTACHED AS ANNEXES ΤΟ THE FINAL BASIC LAW WHEN PASSED BY THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS OF CHINA IN 1990.

REFERRING TO SPECIFIC PROVISIONS IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID ARTICLE 4, WHICH STATED THAT HONG KONG'S EXISTING CAPITALIST SYSTEM AND WAY OF LIFE SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED FOR 50 YEARS, AUGURED WELL FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE PROSPERITY.

ON THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE, HE SUGGESTED THAT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN THE FORMATIVE YEARS OF THE HONG KONG SAR SHOULD BE ELECTED BY A WIDELY REPRESENTATIVE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, WHICH WOULD BE DISSOLVED AFTER THE ELECTION WAS COMPLETED,

REGARDING ARTICLE 55, MR CHEONG-LEEN BELIEVED THAT AT LEAST THREE QUARTERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHOULD COME FROM LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SO AS TO ENSURE A WORKING LIAISON BETWEEN EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES AND THE LEGISLATURE.

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ON THE LEGISLATURE OF THE HONG KONG SAR GOVERNMENT, HE WAS IN FAVOUR OF STARTING OFF IN 1997 WITH ABOUT 70 MEMBERS ELECTED BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, DISTRICTS AND ELECTORAL RESPECTIVELY.

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THE COUNCIL'S PRESIDENT SHOULD BE ELECTED FROM AMONG THE COUNCIL'S MEMBERS.

IN RELATION TO THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST GOVERNMENT AND FIRST LEGISLATURE OF THE HONG KONG SAR, HE SUPPORTED THE "THROUGH TRAIN" CONCEPT IN ORDER TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY AND WITH MINIMUM DISRUPTION TO COMMUNITY LIFE.

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