XN000022-1990-02-28 — Page 8

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1990

FOUNDATION LAID FOR BUILDING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT

THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS NOT SO MUCH WHETHER WE SHOULD ACCEPT THE PROPOSED POLITICAL MODEL FOR HONG KONG THAT HAS BEEN AGREED ON OUR BEHALF BY BRITAIN AND CHINA, BUT RATHER HOW WE CAN MAKE IT WORK TO THE BENEFIT OF OUR FUTURE, THE HON EDWARD HO SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SEATS

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE HON ALLEN LEE'S MOTION IN THE DEBATE ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM, MR HO SAID THE RECENT GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PROVISION OF 18 DIRECTLY ELECTED IN THE 1991 LEGISLATURE WAS A VAST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE ORIGINAL NUMBER OF 10.

HE BELIEVED THIS COULD PROVIDE A WORKING BUILDING OF A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT.

FOUNDATION FOR THE

IT WOULD BE FUTILE AND STRATEGICALLY WRONG то ADOPT A CONFRONTATIONAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHINA.

HONG KONG PEOPLE'S ASPIRATION FOR GREATER DEMOCRACY WOULD DIMINISH, AND THE BEST WAY THEY COULD ACHIEVE THAT WAS FOR SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BE UNITED IN THEIR EFFORTS IN BUILDING A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM FROM THE FOUNDATION THAT HAD JUST BEEN LAID.

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"THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG MUST COMMIT THEMSELVES TO MAINTAIN, WITH THE HELP OF THEIR LEADERS AND THE GOVERNMENTS CONCERNED, THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF THIS WONDERFUL CITY, THEIR HOME.

"THEIR CONTINUED COMMITMENT IS THE ONLY ASSURANCE THAT HONG KONG WILL ENJOY GREATER DEMOCRACY AND AUTONOMY IN THE YEARS TO COME, MR HO SAID.

AS BOTH THE "4-4-2 MODEL" AND THE OMELCO CONSENSUS COMMANDED WIDE SUPPORT IN HONG KONG, IT WAS DISAPPOINTING THAT NEITHER WAS EVEN CONSIDERED IN THE FINAL WORKING SESSIONS OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE, HE SAID.

THE PRESENT MODEL FELL SHORT OF THE ASPIRATION OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ON THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT OF A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT.

"IN ADDITION, THERE ARE ELEMENTS PROPOSED IN THE BASIC LAW, SUCH AS THE SPLIT VOTING SYSTEM AND THE RESTRICTION OF THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE FUTURE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HOLDING FOREIGN PASSPORTS TO 20 PER CENT, WHICH CAN JEOPARDISE THE SMOOTH RUNNING OF THE COUNCIL, AND IN THE LATTER CASE, IS UNDESIRABLE AND EVEN UNWORKABLE," MR HO SAID.

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