XN000022-1993-02-24 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1993

1

CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE IN THE INTEREST OF ALL

*

IT WOULD BE IN HONG KONG'S INTEREST AND THE INTEREST OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM IF A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE WITHOUT ANY PRECONDITIONS ON ANYBODY'S PART COULD BE RE- ESTABLISHED, THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING SHA ΤΙΝ, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD MADE IT CLEAR AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT IT WAS HAPPY TO DISCUSS PROPOSALS ON ELECTION ARRANGEMENTS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT ANY PRECONDITIONS IN ANY PLACE WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS.

"BUT, OBVIOUSLY, TALKS WOULD NEED TO AIM AT A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE, HE SAID.

"I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS. IT'S CERTAINLY WHAT I WANT. I DON'T THINK THE COMMUNITY WOULD WANT TALKS TO BE AIMED AT AN INDEFINITE DELAY TO RESOLVING THESE PROBLEMS.

"WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF DEALING WITH THESE ISSUES + WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF GETTING THEM TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AS SOON AS WE REASONABLY CAN, THAT IS NOT AN ULTIMATUM.

'WHAT IT IS IS A STATEMENT OF WHAT IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE

IMPERATIVE.

"SOONER OR LATER, WE DO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES. SO IF WE DON'T MOVE AHEAD AS RAPIDLY AS MANY LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS WOULD LIKE, THERE WILL HAVE TO BE A VERY GOOD REASON FOR NOT DOING SO."

ASKED ABOUT DEFERRING THE GAZETTING OF THE BILL, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "THE FACT THAT WE'VE ALL ALONG TRIED TO ENSURE THAT

WE COULD RESOLVE THIS LEGISLATIVE ISSUE AND TITS ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ISN'T A POLITICAL TACTIC.

-

IT'S A FACT OF ADMINISTRATIVE NECESSITY. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE ARRANGEMENTS AGREED AND IN PLACE FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS THIS YEAR. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THEM IN PLACE SO THAT PROPER ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE AT A PROPER SPEED."

"SO ALL ALONG, WE'VE SAID THAT WE WANT TO MOVE AHEAD AT A REASONABLE PACE SO THAT WE GIVE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY THE CHANCE TO GET ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE IN GOOD TIME, HE ADDED.

*

"I THEREFORE SAID AND THE GOVERNMENT SAID THAT WE WOULD LIKE то GET THE LEGISLATION TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY THE END OF FEBRUARY. WE'VE ALREADY GAZETTED THE BILL ON THE ELECTORAL AND BOUNDARY COMMISSION BUT THERE IS ANOTHER BILL WHICH HAS STILL TO BE GAZETTED.

14

*NOW, MY OWN JUDGMENT IS IF WE DON'T MEET THE DATE OF THE END OF FEBRUARY, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE VERY GOOD REASONS FOR NOT MEETING THAT DATE IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN ANY DELAY TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHO OBVIOUSLY WANT TO GET ON WITH THEIR WORK AND TO THE COMMUNITY WHOLE.

ד+

AS

A

/2