XN000022-1993-09-07 — Page 2

- 1

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1993

CIVIL SERVICE WILL REMAIN POLITICALLY NEUTRAL

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, REITERATED TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT THE HONG KONG CIVIL SERVICE, BEING ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD, IS POLITICALLY NEUTRAL AND WILL REMAIN POLITICALLY NEUTRAL.

SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA AFTER THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING, MR PATTEN SAID EXCO MEMBERS WERE SURPRISED OF THE ALLEGATIONS WHICH HAD BEEN MADE OVER THE WEEKEND ABOUT THE POLITICISATION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

HE NOTED THAT THESE ALLEGATIONS APPEARED TO BE BASED ON TWO RATHER SURPRISING PROPOSITIONS.

"FIRST OF ALL, THERE WAS AN ARGUMENT THAT WE WERE NOW SUDDENLY TAKING A DECISION TO ALLOW CIVIL SERVANTS TO TAKE PART IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES AND A DOCUMENT WAS CITED TO THAT EFFECT.

"THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE DOCUMENT WHICH WAS ATTACKED WAS ISSUED IN OCTOBER 1990 BEFORE THE 1991 ELECTIONS A8 PUBLIC GUIDANCE, AGREED BY THE EXCO, FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE.

"IF IT WAS ALL RIGHT FOR THE 1991 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS, WHY IS IT SUDDENLY BEING ATTACKED TODAY.

"SECONDLY, THERE IS A SUGGESTION THAT SOMEHOW IT WOULD CURIOUS FOR CIVIL SERVANTS TO VOTE IN FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SEATS.

BE

"AGAIN THE TRUTH IS THAT UNDER PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS, EIGHT OF THE 21 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES HAVE CIVIL SERVANTS VOTING IN THEM.

OF THOSE IN TWO CASES, MORE THAN 50 PER CENT THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES CONCERNED, MORE THAN CIVIL SERVANTS.

ENTITLED

ΤΟ

50 PER

VOTE IN CENT ARE

"SO AGAIN, THERE'S NOT SOME NEW PRINCIPLE BEING BREACHED," THE GOVERNOR SAID.

CIVIL SERVANTS' PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS

* * * * * *

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED IN RESPONSE ΤΟ MEDIA INQUIRIES CONCERNING CIVIL SERVANTS' PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS:

THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR STUART HARBINSON, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT CIVIL SERVANTS HAD BEEN ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS IN HONG KONG WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE NEUTRALITY OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

HE SAID THE GUIDELINES FOR CIVIL SERVANTS WISHING то JOIN POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS AND PARTICIPATE IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES WERE WELL UNDERSTOOD IN THE SERVICE, AND WERE GOVERNED BY A CIRCULAR ISSUED BY THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH IN OCTOBER 1990.

/THE BASIC