XN000022-1993-10-07 — Page 9

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993

MR

MR JAMES TO (THROUGH INTERPRETER):

GOVERNOR, IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS, IN THE BEGINNING YOU SAID THAT FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS PROPOSED LAST YEAR, THEY WERE IN LINE WITH THE BASIC LAW AND THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THEY GOT THE BLESSING FROM LEGCO AND MAJORITY SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY. UNFORTUNATELY, IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS NOW, YOU HAVE ADMITTED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAS MADE MAJOR CONCESSIONS IN THE TALKS, SO THAT FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEE FOR THE COMPOSITION, THEY ARE NOW VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM YOUR ORIGINAL IDEA. MR GOVERNOR, YOU SAID THAT THE ELECTORAL PROCESS SHOULD BE OPEN, FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. WHY IS THAT YOU HAVE DONE THIS WHICH IS AGAINST PUBLIC OPINION?

NOW, FOR YOUR AMENDMENTS THIS TIME, ON WHAT BASIS OF PUBLIC OPINION MADE? IF THERE IS NO AGREEMENT, WILL YOU PUT FORWARD YOUR PROPOSALS WHICH HAVE BEEN WIDELY ACCEPTED, TO THIS COUNCIL?

—

ARE

THEY ORIGINAL

BY

THE

THE GOVERNOR:

I'D HOPED THAT I'D MADE IT CLEAR, NOT LEAST USING THE WORD "IF" TWICE, IN MY SPEECH YESTERDAY THAT CONCESSIONS WHICH THE BRITISH TEAM OFFERED IN JULY AND AUGUST IN THE TALKS IN PEKING WERE CONDITIONAL ON AN ACCEPTABLE OVERALL SETTLEMENT, INCLUDING ACCEPTABLE, AGREED, OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN. I WANT, IN CASE THERE WAS ANY DOUBT ABOUT THAT AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS WHICH I HAVE HEARD OVER THE LAST 12-18 HOURS SUGGEST THAT SOME PEOPLE MUST HAVE THOUGHT I WAS WHISPERING MY

'IF'

I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR ONCE AGAIN THAT THE CONCESSIONS THAT WERE PUT FORWARD WERE UNDERSTANDABLY CONDITIONAL, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT IN NEGOTIATIONS SUCH AS THOSE THAT WE'RE ENGAGED IN. WHY DID WE OFFER, DURING THESE TALKS, ANY CHANGE, CONDITIONAL THOUGH IT MAY BE, FROM OUR ORIGINAL PROPOSALS? FOR A VERY SIMPLE REASON: WE WOULD LIKE, IF IT 19 POSSIBLE, TO HAVE AGREED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE '94 AND '95 ELECTIONS, WITH THE MAXIMUM CHANCE RATHER THAN THE POSSIBLE CHANCE OF THEIR SURVIVAL THROUGH 1997 TO 1999. I THINK UNLESS I HAVE JUDGED THE COMMUNITY HOPELESSLY WRONGLY I THINK THE COMMUNITY WANTS FAIR AND OPEN AND ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS, AND IF POSSIBLE, WANTS THOSE ARRANGEMENTS ΤΟ BE ACCEPTABLE TO CHINA AS WELL AS BRITAIN AND HONG KONG. BUT IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO ARRIVE AT THAT HAPPY SITUATION.

TWO OTHER THINGS, IN THE COURSE OF WHICH I WILL ANSWER THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S INTERESTING LAST QUESTION. FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD NOT HAVE PUT FORWARD ANY PROPOSALS IN THE TALKS IN PEKING WHICH WE DID NOT THINK PROVIDED OPEN AND FAIR ARRANGEMENTS ELECTIONS, AND I COULD DEFEND VERY STOUTLY, WITHIN THOSE PRINCIPLES, THE PROPOSALS THAT WE HAVE PUT CONDITIONALLY ON THE TABLE.

FOR

/FINALLY, THE