XN000022-1990-03-01 — Page 12

11

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1990

"THE PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN A9 THE END OF HONG KONG, FAR LESS THE END FOR DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG," HE SAID.

THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG MUST STAND FIRM, AND OMELCO MUST TAKK A LEAD AND MUST SHOW THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THEIR DETERMINATION IN THEIR DRIVE FOR DEMOCRACY.

COMMENDING THE HON JAMES MCGREGOR'S MOTION TO HIS COLLEAGUES, DR LEONG SAID THEY MUST SHOW CONVICTION FOR WHAT THEY STOOD

FOR, AND OMELCO SHOULD STAND FIRM ON THEIR OWN CONSENSUS.

HE SAID THE 1991 ELECTION WOULD BE VITAL FOR HONG KONG, AND THE ELECTION PACKAGE AND ELECTION METHODS MUST BE

OPEN, FAIR, EQUAL AND FREE TO ENSURE THAT GENUINE REPRESENTATIVES OF HONG KONG WERK BEING ELECTED.

DR LEONG ALSO SAID THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG MUST BE STIMULATED AND SELF MOTIVATED TO COME OUT TO VOTE EN MASSE TO REFLECT THEIR CONCERN AND TO CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY.

CHANGE IN CHINA'S ATTITUDE PREDICTED

THE HON JAMES MCGREGOR PREDICTED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT THE NEXT FEW YEARS WILL SEE CHANGES FOR THE BETTER IN CHINESE ATTITUDES AND POLICIES TOWARDS HONG KONG.

"I BELIEVE THAT CHINA WILL RECOGNISE THAT WE POSE NO THREAT, THAT OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM IS VASTLY SUPERIOR ΤΟ THEIRS, THAT AN ESSENTIAL PART OF IT IS CONFIDENCE, BOTH PERSONAL AND CORPORATE, AND THAT GREATER DEMOCRACY IN GOVERNMENT IS THE BEST WAY OF ENSURING THAT OUR SYSTEM CONTINUES TO FLOURISH AND TO SUPPORT

CHINA, HE SAID IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM.

FE

AND CHANGE IN CHINA WAS HONG KONG'S GREATEST HOPE, HE ADDED.

IT WAS BASED ON THIS CONVICTION AND ON THE VIEW THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL COULD NOT ABANDON THE VERY MODERATE MODEL IT HAD CHAMPIONED FOR SO LONG AND WHICH HAD BEEN SUPPORTED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT HE WOULD BE MOVING HIS MOTION IN THE DEBATE.

POLITICAL SO WIDELY

/HIS MOTION