XN000022-1990-02-28 — Page 4

2

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2009

MR LEE STRESSED THAT HE BELIEVED IN DEMOCRACY, FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT IT OFFERED PEOPLE THE RIGHT ΤΟ CHOOSE THEIR LEADERS;

ALLOWED THE PROVIDED THE NECESSARY CHECKS AND BALANCES; AND OF EXPRESSION.

FREEDOM

"IN 1991, OUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, FOR THE FIRST IN OUR HISTORY, TO DIRECTLY ELECT 18 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS," HE SAID.

TIME

7

MR LEE URGED THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO ELECTION AND TO COME OUT AND VOTE FOR THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE THE LEADERS OF OUR COMMUNITY,

URGED HE ALSO

PARTICIPATE IN THE WHOM THEY BELIEVED

THOSE WHO WERE

QUALIFIED TO BE

VOTERS

ΤΟ

REGISTER SO THAT THEY COULD VOTE.

"THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG MUST BE DETERMINED ON WHOM THEY WANT TO THE IN THE FUTURE GOVERNMENT AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO THIS IS TO GO POLLS AND VOTE," HE ADDED.

-

HK DESERVES FASTER DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT

* * * * *

THE HON RITA FAN TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) SHE IS NOT HAPPY WITH THE FUTURE POLITICAL MODEL BUT ACCEPTS THAT THE MAIN TASK AHEAD IS TO PROVE TO THOSE WHO BLOCKED THE PROGRESS OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG THAT THEY WERE WRONG IN THEIR ASSESSMENT,

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE HON ALLEN LEE'S MOTION IN THE DEBATE ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL MODEL, MRS FAN MAINTAINED THAT HONG KONG DESERVED AND WAS CAPABLE OF HANDLING A FASTER PACE OF DEMOCRATIC

DEVELOPMENT.

"TO DEMONSTRATE ΤΟ THE WORLD, IN PARTICULAR CHINA, THAT DEMOCRACY WORKS WELL HERE, THE ELECTIONS IN 1991 NEED TO HAVE A GOOD TURNOUT RATE, AND THE 1991 LEGISLATURE MUST ENJOY MORE SUPPORT AND OUT-PERFORM THE PRESENT ONE, SHE SAID.

||

MRS FAN SAID SHE WAS SADLY DISAPPOINTED WITH FOUR FACTORS THAT HAD EMERGED DURING THE PROCESS OF SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM.

THE FIRST FACTOR WAS THE REFUSAL OF THE CHINESE SIDE TO CONSIDER THE OMELCO CONCENSUS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT OMELCO WAS A BRITISH ORGANISATION.

MAINSTREAM

THE SECOND WAS THE APPARENT FAVOURITISM SHOWN BY THE CHINESE SIDE TO THE SUGGESTIONS OF SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE OVER THE VIEW OF THE COMMUNITY.

/THE THIRD