XN000022-1990-12-08 — Page 4

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PUBLIC SUPPORT NEEDED FOR POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

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THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR SHARE OF SHAPING THE TERRITORY'S FUTURE ONLY IF THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WITH ENTHUSIASM AND A GOOD SENSE OP RESPONSIBILITY, THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, SUEN, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

MR MICHAEL

MR SUEN WAS SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ON ELECTIONS AND ELECTORAL POLITICS ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG FOUNDATION.

OBJECTIVE

HE SAID DURING THE RUN-UP TO 1997, THE GOVERNMENT'S WAS TO ENSURE THAT THE EXISTING CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM WOULD CONTINUE TO PROGRESS STEADILY.

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"HOWEVER, THE MOMENTUM OF DEVELOPMENT WILL DEPEND ON THE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR AND PARTICIPATION IN THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM, HE SAID.

ON THE SUGGESTION THAT AN INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION BE ESTABLISHED TO HANDLE MATTERS CONCERNING THE DEMARCATION OF ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES AND TO MONITOR THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS, MR SUEN SAID WHILE THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT RESIST THE IDEA AS A PRINCIPLE, IT WAS NECESSARY TO CONSIDER THOROUGHLY THE FORMATION AND THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMISSION AS WELL AS THE LEGISLATIVE WORK INVOLVED.

"THE ELECTIONS AND ORGANISATIONAL CHANGES то THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1991 REPRESENT AN EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

"THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE IS TO CONDUCT THE ELECTIONS ON THE BASIS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM WHICH IS TIME-TESTED, WIDELY KNOWN AND EXTENSIVELY ACCEPTED, INSTEAD OF EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW IDEAS AT THIS CRITICAL MOMENT,

REGARDING THE DEMARCATION OF ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES, MR SUEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDED THE PRESENT AND FUTURE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT AND THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTRAINTS OF THE DISTRICTS AS WELL AS THE PRESENT DEMARCATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS.

"THE BALANCE OF POLITICAL FORCES WITHIN EACH AREA IS NOT SOMETHING WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, HE SAID.

ALL SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING THE DEMARCATION OF ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES WERE THEN SUBMITTED то THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL FOR DELIBERATION AND APPROVAL. IT WAS THEREFORE TOTALLY UNFOUNDED AND UNNECESSARY ΤΟ SUSPECT THAT THERE WAS ANY UNFAIR POLITICAL CONSIDERATION IN DECIDING ON ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES, HE SAID.

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