XN000022-1993-07-15 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1993

MR CHEUNG MAN-KWONG: MR GOVERNOR, COULD YOU CLEARLY AND SPECIFICALLY TELL THIS COUNCIL THIS, LAST WEEK MR HURD IN HIS VISIT TO BEIJING DID HE TALK TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES IN RELATION ΤΟ THE 94/95 CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY SECRET AGREEMENTS re UNDERSTANDING IN RELATION TO THOSE ELECTIONS? IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE NOW STRESSING THE "THROUGH TRAIN", HAVE YOU BECAUSE OF THIS GIVEN UP ON YOUR DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT?

GOVERNOR: WELL OF COURSE THE FOREIGN SECRETARY TALKED ABOUT THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS. I THINK THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF HE'D GONE TO PEKING AND NOT DONE SO AND ONE OF THE MAIN PURPOSES OF HIS VISIT, A REASON WHY WE ADVISED HIM TO GO AND INDEED URGED HIM TO GO, WAS TO TRY TO PROVIDE A GREATER POLITICAL IMPULSE FOR THE TALKS WHICH HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS. BUT HE DIDN'T REACH A SECRET DEAL OR ANY SORT OF DEAL DURING HIS TALKS. HE WASN'T NEGOTIATING, HE WAS TRYING TO FOCUS THE TALKS ON WHAT WE REGARD AS THE PRINCIPAL ISSUES AND TO ENSURE THAT THE TALKS MAKE THE SORT OF PROGRESS WHICH EVERYBODY I'M SURE IN THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO SEE. OUR INTENTION IN THESE TALKS, AS I I SAID EARLIER, IS TO SECURE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS WHICH ARE FAIR, OPEN AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THAT IN MY JUDGEMENT MEANS THAT WE REALLY DO HAVE TO RESOLVE THE DIFFERENCES THAT PLAINLY EXIST, ON IN PARTICULAR THE ROLE OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, IT'S COMPOSITION AND THE WAY IT'S ARRIVED AT AND THE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND I THINK THERE ARE VIEWS WHICH MEMBERS HAVE, MANY MEMBERS HAVE ON THE WAY THE EXISTING FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES OPERATE AS WELL, SO WE NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THOSE MATTERS. BUT I DON'T THINK IT

WOULD MAKE VERY MUCH SENSE FOR US TO REACH SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTIONS IN 1994/95 BUT NOT REACH AGREEMENT ON HOW LEGISLATORS COULD TRAVEL THROUGH THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997, PROVIDED THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO MEET THE SAME SORT OF OBJECTIVE TESTS WHICH EXIST TODAY.

So, I WOULDN'T REGARD SECURING SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT ON ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS BUT NO AGREEMENT ON THE "THROUGH TRAIN" IS ACCEPTABLE AND EQUALLY IMPROBABLE THOUGH IT WOULD BE I GUESS, I WOULDN'T REGARD IT AS ACCEPTABLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ON THE "THROUGH TRAIN" BUT NOT ABOUT THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR 94/95. IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SMOOTH TRANSITION, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONVERGENCE, THEN THAT MUST MEAN NOT JUST CONVERGENCE OF INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS BUT CONVERGENCE WHICH INVOLVES THE ROLE OF LEGISLATORS AS WELL OTHERWISE I DON'T THINK IT WOULD MAKE VERY MUCH SENSE. NO SECRET DEAL, ANYTHING WHICH EMERGES FROM THESE TALKS AND WE HOPE THAT WE WILL HAVE, IN DUE COURSE, GOOD NEWS, DIFFICULT THOUGH THE JOB IS BUT ANYTHING THAT EMERGES FROM THESE TALKS WILL OF COURSE BE WIDELY DEBATED IN THE COMMUNITY AND I GUESS EXTENSIVELY, LENGTHY AND ALWAYS INTELLIGENTLY DEBATED BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

THIS

THAT

MR CHEUNG MAN-KWONG: MR PRESIDENT, LAST YEAR THE GOVERNOR SAID THESE DEMOCRATIC PROPOSALS ARE IN LINE WITH THE BASIC LAW AND IF 'T'HAT IS IN LINE WITH THE BASIC LAW THEN THERE MUST BE A | 'THROUGH TRAIN" AND SO WOULD YOU THEREFORE BE INSISTING ON THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS WILL GO THROUGH STRADDLING THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY?

/GOVERNOR