XN000022-1992-10-24 — Page 5

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سكير

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1992

PREES

CONFERENCE, THE EXCHANGE OF AND THE FOREIGN UNDERSTANDING AND

MR ALLEN LEE:

GOVERNOR, MR LU PING IN HIS YESTERDAY, IN BEIJING, REFERRED SEVERAL TIMES TO LETTERS BETWEEN THE CHINESE

CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER SECRETARY, MR DOUGLAS HURD, WITH REGARD TO THE AGREEMENT REACHED ON MATTERS BUCH AS THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND OTHER ABPECTA OF THE ELECTION. WILL YOU MAKE THOSE LETTERS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL?

GOVERNOR:

THE

CLEARLY, IF THE CHINESE SIDE AND THE BRITISH BIDE WISH TO MAKE THOSE LETTERS AVAILABLE, THEN I WOULD

WOULD HAVE

HAVE NO OBJECTION WHATSOEVER. IT WAS A POINT THAT WE DISCUSSED AT BOME LENGTH DURING OUR DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE TABLE, AND LET ME TAKE UP ONE OF THE POINTS WHICH WAN THE SUBJECT OF JOME DISCUSSION: THE COMPOSITION OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. I REPEAT WHAT I SAID IN MY STATEMENT, THAT WHAT 18 ABUNDANTLY PLAIN 18 THAT THE ELECTION COMMITTER PRESCRIBED IN THE BASIC LAW FOR THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE SHOULD NOT BE THE JAME AS THAT PRESCRIBED For THE SRCOND. IT THEREFORE PUZZLES ME WHEN I HEAR REFERENCES TO AGREEMENTS ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE BECAUSE THE POINT IS EXPLICITLY PLAIN, I THINK HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL AGREE, IN ANNEX II TO THE BASIC LAW.

DON'T BELIEVE, EITHER, THAT ANYTHING

WHICH

HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE PAST ABOUT FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, ENTITLES ANYONE TO SAY THAT UNDERTAKINGS REACHED BETWEEN THE SOVEREIGN POWERS HAVE BEEN BREACHED. BUT I REPEAT THAT IF BOTH SIDES AGREE TO PUBLICISING PAST CORRESPONDENCE, THEN IT WOULD NOT TROUBLE THE

GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG ONE BIT.

THE

MR MARTIN LEE (IN CANTONESE): MR GOVERNOR, BEFORE I ASK A QUESTION, I WOULD LIKE TO CLEARLY STATE THE VIEW OF THE UNITED DEMOCRATS. UDHK SUPPORTS THE POLITICAL PACKAGE, BECAUSE THE UDHK SUPPORTS MORE DEMOCRACY, ALTHOUGH WE ARE STILL SOMEWHAT UNHAPPY WITH SOME PARTS OF YOUR PACKAGE WE WILL FIGHT ON FOR THAT.

-

NOW,

I HAVE A QUESTION. NOW WE HAVE A TENSE ATMOSPHERE, WILL THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDER A REFERENDUM IN HONG KONG, SO THAT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE CAN MAKE A DECISION FOR THEMSELVES FOR THE FUTURE? po WE HAVE ANY THEORETICAL PROBLEMS FOR NOT CARRYING OUT ANY PHILOSOPHICAL REASONS OR CONSTITUTIONAL REASONS FOR NOT.CARRYING THE REFERENDUM?

OUT

/GOVERNOR: