XN000022-1990-02-20 — Page 2

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1990

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HK SHOULD GET ON WITH MAKING POLITICAL STRUCTURE WORK: GOVERNOR

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MAKING THE SIR

WHAT HONG KONG SHOULD NOW DO 15 TO GET ON WITH POLITICAL STRUCTURE SECTION OF THE BASIC LAW WORK, THE GOVERNOR, DAVID WILSON, SAID THIS (TUESDAY) EVENING.

NOTING THAT HUGE CHANGES WOULD BE BROUGHT IN NEXT YEAR TO HONG KONG'S POLITICAL STRUCTURE, SIR DAVID SAID WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WORKED EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY.

"WE CAN SHOW THAT THEY ARE GOOD FOR HONG KONG AND THEN LATER ON WE CAN DISCUSS WHETHER IN THE LIGHT OF THAT EXPERIENCE WE THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE SOME CHANGES," HE SAID.

SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS NOT SOMETHING FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, BUT FOR AFTER THE 1991 ELECTIONS AND WHEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT THAT DEGREE OF DEMOCRACY WAS GOOD FOR HONG KONG.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING THE CNTA SPRING RECEPTION, THE GOVERNOR SAID A LOT OF DECISIONS ABOUT THE POLITICAL PACKAGE FOR 1991 WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN.

"WE'VE MADE THE DECISION ON 18 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS. WE'VE GOT TO MAKE A DECISION ON HOW MANY APPOINTED MEMBERS, HOW MANY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY MEMBERS AND WHAT WE SHOULD DO WITH OFFICIALS.

HE SAID WHAT WE WOULD BE TRYING TO DO WAS TO START MOVING GRADUALLY FROM THE PRESENT SITUATION, THAT WAS THE PRESENT STRUCTURE OF LEGCO, TO THE NEW STRUCTURE IN 1995.

"SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DECISIONS TO MAKE AND ONE OF THEM WILL BE SIZE OF CONSTITUENCIES AND HOW WE SHOULD ORGANISE THAT. WE ARE WORKING ON IT AT THE MOMENT AND WE WILL MAKE A FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT IT AS SOON AS WF CAN, AND WELL IN ADVANCE OF WHEN IT'S NECESSARY FOR PEOPLE TO START PREPARING FOR THE 1991 ELECTIONS, HE ADDED.

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ON THE SIZE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR DAVID SAID BY 1995 THERE WOULD BE 60 SEATS.

"80 WE WILL WANT TO WORK OUT HOW MANY WE SHOULD HAVE IN THE INTERIM PERIOD. WE HAVEN'T WORKED OUT ALL. THE DETAILS YET,' HE SAID.

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IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ON WHETHER THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD BE ELECTED, SIR DAVID SAID THAT IN 1997 THE PRESIDENT WOULD BE ELECTED AND IT WOULD BE SENSIBLE TO BRING IN AN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF LEGCO IN 1995.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO WORK OUT THE TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS WHEN LOOKING AT THE WHOLE PACKAGE OF

ARRANGEMENTS FOR

1991.

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