XN000022-1990-03-01 — Page 15

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1990

14

CLOSE AND EAGER PARTICIPATION ADVOCATED

* * *

THE HON JAMES TIEN ADVOCATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (THURSDAY) THE CLOSE AND EAGER PARTICIPATION BY ALL KONG IN THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM.

TODAY

OF SECTORS

HONG

MAN,

ONE VOTE BASE FOR

BETWEEN ALL THE ELECTED MEMBERS, EITHER BY ONE OR BY FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY, HONG KONG COULD MAKE A SOLID FUTURE PROGRESS, HE SAID.

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE SENIOR MEMBER'S MOTION IN THE

POLITICAL DEBATE ON THE FUTURE

SYSTEM, MR TIEN SAID HE STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE PRINCIPLE OF A BALANCED LEGISLATURE, IN PARTICULAR IN THOSE AREAS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF HONG

KONG, ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT OPPOSE SOME DIRECT ELECTION.

"I URGE GREATER REALISATION OF THE FACT THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIRECT ELECTIONS HERE IS ONLY A MEANS TO AN END. I HAVE SUPPORTED 4-4-2 MODEL AS THE BEST PACE. THAT IS STILL MY VIEW.

IN THE

"I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE SEE GRADUAL, BUT NEVERTHELESS HONG KONG'S CONTEXT, DYNAMIC CHANGE WITH DISAPPROVAL. IT AS 'TOOTHPASTE DEMOCRACY', SQUEEZED OUT BIT BY BIT.

THEY

REFER TO

"BUT CONSIDER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SQUEEZE THE TOOTHPASTE TUBE TOO HARD. THE ANSWER IS A MESS.

H

"FOR MY PART, I FAVOUR PUTTING ONLY AS MUCH TOOTHPASTE

BRIGHT BRUSH AS IS NECESSARY. THE RESULT IS HOPEFULLY A SMILE, HE SAID.

ON THE AND HEALTHY

MR TIEN NOTED THAT THE BASIC LAW HAD PLACED NATIONALITY

MEMBERSHIP RESTRICTIONS ON ELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AND

OF THE

LEGISLATURE, WHICH HE FOUND

BE UNDESIRABLE AND WOULD DETER BUSINESSMEN AND PROFESSIONALS FROM PARTICIPATING IN POLITICS.

WOULD

ON A SEPARATE VOTING MECHANISM, MR TIEN SAID IT WOULD SURELY SUIT THE FUTURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO HAVE DIVISION, ARGUMENT AND CONFRONTATION WITHIN THE CHAMBER AND SO DIVIDE AND RULE, BECAUSE SEPARATE PARTS OF A SINGLE CHAMBER COULD

PROMOTE DISUNITY AND DISHARMONY.

ONLY

HE ALSO SAID THERE WERE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS IN THE MOVE ΤΟ

THE DANGER DIRECT ELECTIONS. AMONG THEM WERE

OF MOVING HONG KONG INCREASING THE TOWARDS BEING TURNED INTO A WELFARE STATE AND

CHANCE OF MORE BUREAUCRACY, WHICH MIGHT

ENTREPRENEURS AND INVESTORS

FROM HONG KONG.

DRIVE

MR TIEN NOTED THAT FOR 150 YEARS HONG KONG DID NOT HAVE DEMOCRACY BUT IT HAD HAD FREEDOM.

HE SAID: "I PREFER FREEDOM TO DEMOCRACY. OFTEN USED AS A SLOGAN, BUT THIS IS TO DEBASE IT.

DEMOCRACY IS ALL TOO

/"FREEDOM IS