XN000022-1993-10-07 — Page 18

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993

THE GOVERNOR:

SOME THROWAWAY LINE

WHICH WASN'T MEANT TO HIT ANYBODY. A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, A NUMBER OF THE WISEST COMMENTATORS ON RELATIONS WITH THE PRC HAVE SOMETIMES SAID THAT YOU ONLY MAKE PROGRESS AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR OR THEY NORMALLY PUT IT EVEN MORE STRONGLY AND SAY YOU ONLY MAKE PROGRESS AT FIVE MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT AND THAT WAS A REFLECTION OF THAT PARTICULAR POINT OF VIEW, WHETHER OR NOT IT IS CORRECT, WE SHALL DISCOVER. I HOPE THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS WILL RECOGNISE THAT TIME DOES MARCH RELENTLESSLY ON. THAT WE CAN'T ALLOW OURSELVES TO GET INTO A POSITION WHERE WE CAN'T MAKE PROPER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 94 AND 95 ELECTIONS BECAUSE THE CALENDAR HAS MOVED PAST

US.

I HAVE TO SAY THAT I THINK WE ARE ALREADY CUTTING THINGS VERY FINE BECAUSE OF OUR DETERMINATION, IF WE CAN GET ONE, TO GET AN AGREEMENT. BUT THE WHOLE OF THIS COUNCIL WOULD, UNDER ORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES, HAVE LIKED US TO HAVE HAD IN PLACE ALREADY MOST OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS, PARTICULARLY THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DISTRICT BOARD AND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS. I WISH WE ALREADY HAD THOSE

ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE SO THAT PEOPLE KNEW WHERE THEY STOOD. SO WE ARE DOWN TO WEEKS. I HOPE WHEN I BRING PROPOSALS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL I CAN SAY WE'VE AGREED THESE PROPOSALS WITH CHINA, I CAN RECOMMEND THEM ΤΟ THE COUNCIL WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM, I HOPE THE COUNCIL WILL ACCEPT THEM AS A WAY OF SECURING THE SMOOTHEST POSSIBLE TRANSITION. IF I CAN'T MAKE THAT SPEECH I WILL HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER SPEECH IN WHICH 1 WILL INVITE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO FOLLOW THE LEAD I GIVE IT, BUT I WILL DEPEND, OF COURSE, ON BEING ABLE TO PERSUADE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT WHAT I AM PROPOSING IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG.

MR ERIC LEE:

THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION MR GOVERNOR. DURING FIRST READING, ACTUALLY WHEN THERE WAS SOME PROGRESS IN THE TALKS, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD SAID THROUGH DIFFERENT CHANNELS THAT IF WE HAVE A SECOND READING DEBATE IN THE LEGCO THEN THE TALKS WOULD HALT IMMEDIATELY. MR GOVERNOR, DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOME KIND OF POLITICAL GESTURE OR DO YOU THINK THAT THE CHINESE SIDE IS PERFECTLY SERIOUS ON THIS? DOES THAT MEAN THAT IF WE HAVE A DEBATE HERE THEY WILL STOP THE TALKS?

GOVERNOR:

THERE HAVE BEEN LAST YEAR WHICH GONE ON AND DONE

I HONESTLY COULDN'T TELL YOU. THREATS AND THERE HAVE BEEN THINGS SAID OVER THE HAPPILY HAVEN'T BEEN BORNE OUT BY EVENTS WHEN WE'VE WHAT WE BELIEVE IS RIGHT. I THINK IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT WE WILL ONLY BE DEBATING THESE MATTERS EITHER AFTER THERE'S AN AGREEMENT OR AFTER TALKS HAVE CONCLUDED BECAUSE WE CAN'T COME TO AN AGREEMENT, BUT IT MAY BE THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN ITS WISDOM WILL DECIDE TO GO ON AND DEBATE THESE MATTERS ANYWAY. THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT COUNCIL AND I DON'T SEEK TO

—

I SEEK TO PERSUADE IT BUT I DON'T SEEK TO HEAVY IT.

/FRED LI