XN000022-1991-12-31 — Page 3

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1991

STATEMENT BY CHIEF SECRETARY SIR DAVID FORD

*

SIR DAVID WILSON IS A VERY FINE GOVERNOR AND ALL OF US CIVIL SERVICE WILL BE VERY SORRY TO SEE HIM LEAVE NEXT YEAR.

IN THE

SIR

IS DAVID

A MAN OF AND WE

FULL

WHO HAS WORKED UTMOST INTEGRITY

FOR HIS ARE

OF ADMIRATION

TIRELESSLY FOR HONG KONG STEADFAST LEADERSHIP DURING DIFFICULT TIMES.

HONG KONG'S MANY ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE

FIVE PAST

YEARS OWE

SUPPORT OF

THE

MUCH TO HIS EFFORTS. OF COURSE THERE IS MUCH STILL TO BE DONE, BUT SIR DAVID CAN BE ASSURED OF THE LOYAL AND ADMINISTRATION IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.

ENTHUSIASTIC

FULL TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW OF GOVERNOR

* * *

QUESTION: SIR DAVID, COULD YOU TELL US WHAT HAS MADE YOU DECIDE TO RETIRE AT THIS POINT?

IT

AND GOVERNOR BARLY

DECISION BY THE PRIME SIR DAVID: WELL THE DECISION IS A

I THINK I HAVE ALWAYS MADE MINISTER RATHER THAN A DECISION BY ME.

KONG, WITHIN REASONABLE CLEAR THAT I WOULD GO ON SERVING IN HONG

MADE LIMITS, AS LONG AS I WAS ASKED TO DO SO. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS A DECISION THAT IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE GOVERNOR IN 1992, I CAN SEE THE POINT BECAUSE IF THERE IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER BEFORE 1997, THEN IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO BRING IN SOMEBODY ENOUGH SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEMSELVES WELL ESTABLISHED AND HAVE

FOUR-AND-A- GOOD PERIOD IN OFFICE AND THAT WILL GIVE THE NEW GOVERNOR HALF FIVE YEARS IN OFFICE, AND THAT IS A GOOD PERIOD OF TIME TO WELL ESTABLISHED.

QUESTION: ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED LONGER IN HONG KONG?

A

GET

TO SERVE

DECISION 13

SIR DAVID: NO, THE POINT I AM MAKING IS THAT THE

I HAVE ALWAYS MADE ONE FOR THE PRIME MINISTER, NOT A DECISION FOR ME.

SERVE. IT VERY CLEAR IN PUBLIC THAT IF I WAS ASKED TO SERVE, I WOULD

VERY BUT THE DECISION IS ONE FOR THE PRIME MINISTER TO TAKE AND IT IS

THAT IF ONE EASY TO

UNDERSTAND WHY THE PRIME MINISTER HAS DECIDED

LIKELY AND IT NEVER SEEMED PERSON IF I AM NOT TO GO ON UNTIL 1997 THAT

-

IN THAT TO GET

I WOULD GO ON UNTIL 1997, I THINK I HAVE ALWAYS MADE THAT CLEAR IN PUBLIC TOO THEN FOR THE PRIME MINISTER TO DECIDE THAT CIRCUMSTANCES ΤΟ HAVE SOMEBODY WHO CAN COME IN EARLY ENOUGH WELL ESTABLISHED, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AND I CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

/QUESTION: