XN000022-1988-07-13 — Page 17

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1988

16

ONCE THE DRAFT BASIC LAW WAS ADOPTED IN 1990 BY PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENTS TO CAREFULLY PLAN HOW FAR AND FAST TO POLITICALLY ALONG THE LINES SPELT OUT IN THE BASIC LAW.

THE

NATIONAL

AND

CHINESE

FORWARD

MOVE

THE OBJECTIVE WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT BY 1997 THE POLITICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND OTHER STRUCTURES WOULD BE ALREADY IN PLACE, ENABLING A SMOOTH TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY TO BE EFFECTED.

"MUCH REMAINS TO BE DONE IN THE CONSULTING PROCESS AND THE RE-DRAFTING OF THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, HE SAID.

MR CHEONG-LEEN ALSO HOPED THAT THE OMELCO CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PANEL COULD EXPAND ITS LIAISON WITH OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES IN THE COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT A WIDER CONSENSUS IN THE RE-DRAFTING BY THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE, SECOND AND BETTER VERSION OF THE BASIC LAW NEXT YEAR.

LEADING TO A

PEOPLE CAN STILL HELP MOULD THEIR FUTURE

FATE IS

THE IN THE

THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD REALISE THAT THEIR STILL VERY MUCH IN THEIR OWN HANDS, AND THEY SHOULD CHANCE TO HELP MOULD

NOT MISS IT, DR THE HION HELMUT SOHMEN SAID LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON THE DRAFT BASIC SOUMEN SAID HE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTED THE MOTION, WHICH PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THE DOCUMENT.

HE SAID THE BASIC LAW NATURALLY FOLLOWED THE JOINT AND THE "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS" CONCEPT.

THE LATTER WAS A BRILLIANT NEGOTIATING TACTIC BUT BE SEEN AS A WORKABLE OPERATING PRINCIPLE FOR ANY LENGTII CERTAINLY NOT FOR A PERIOD AS LONG AS 50 YEARS AFTER 1997.

LAW, DR URGED THE

DECLARATION

SHOULD NOT

OF TIME,

"THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF MAINTAINING TWO SEPARATE ONE NATIONAL ENTITY HAVING TRADITIONS REVOLVING AROUND CENTRE OVER MANY CENTURIES MAY NOT BE A POPULAR THEME BOTH HERE AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM; BUT THIS IS THE SAID.

SYSTEMS WITHIN A POLITICAL AT THIS TIME REALITY," NE

IN

HE SAID THE GUARANTEES FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE DID NOT LIE THE ARTIFICAL PRESERVATION OF, OR IN THE ONLY COSMETIC ALTERATIONS TO, THE OLD COLONIAL STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES THAT HAD DEEN IN WITH FEW SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATIONS OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.

PLACE

/CHINA'S NEED