XN000022-1993-10-15 — Page 6

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1993

CONSULTATIVE

-

LARGER OR IF

TO A

WOULD

YOU SECONDLY ASKED, WHY, IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEETINGS IF THERE IS A BREAKDOWN IN THE TALKS + THERE ISN'T A BREAKDOWN IN THE TALKS YOU SAID, WHY, IN ADDITION THAT, DON'T YOU HAVE A REFERENDUM? WELL YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU VERY RARE POLITICAL 1.EADER. I MUST BE ONE OF THE

POLITICAL FEW LEADERS WHO ARGUES AGAINST A REFERENDUM, EVEN THOUGH I THINK WE WIN A REFERENDUM HANDS DOWN. THAT, AFTER ALL, AS YOU WERE SUGGESTING, IS WHAT THE OPINION POLLS TELL US. WE DO

TO HAVE

THE CONSULT

WE COMMUNITY.

CAN'T, AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, GO FURTHER THAN THE BUT COMMUNITY WANTS NOR CAN WE GO LESS FAR THAN THE COMMUNITY WANTS. THE RIGHT WAY FOR US TO DO THAT AND THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH WE CAN SHAPE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT LEGISLATION IS THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

DON'T WANT I

TO DO ANYTHING WHICH

WILL TAKE

THE

FROM RESPONSIBILITY

THE LEGISLATIVE

OR COUNCIL

ENCOURAGE SOME

COUNCILLORS ΤΟ LEGISLATIVE

THINK THAT THAT IS OTHER THAN THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE CARRIED THROUGH HONOURABLY AND HONESTLY.

AND

OF

OR

-

AWAY

SAY THE BUT THAT IS THE GRUMBLE ABOUT

ON

THIRD DOING THE SPLITS. I AM SOMETIMES SURPRISED THAT I CAN SAY THE SAME THING DAY AFTER DAY AND SUDDENLY J SAME THING AND IT GETS A CURIOUS HEADLINE IN SOME PLACES. FREEDOM

THE PRESS AND POLITICIANS SHOULD NOT NEWSPAPERS

THE TELEVISION ANY MORE THAN FARMERS SHOULD GRUMBLE WEATHER. ABOUT

LET ME SAY TODAY WHAT I SAID

WEDNESDAY, IN THE

GALLERY FRONT OF SOME OF THOSE VERY DISTINGUISHED JOURNALISTS IN THE WHO FOLLOW ME ROUND FROM DAY TO DAY AND CAN

THE ANSWER

OF SOME

BEFORE QUESTIONS

THEY HAVE PUT THEM

THE AND I GAVE

SAME ANSWER

THAT YESTERDAY

SOME OF THE FRIENDS WHO HAD BEEN THERE ON WEDNESDAY WEREN'T AROUND YESTERDAY, SO THE STORY CAME OUT A LITTLE THE QUESTION OF SPLITTING THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS. THE COUNCIL ELECTIONS AND OTHER FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD MATTERS MORE COMPLICATED ISSUES IS LARGELY IRRELEVANT TO THE QUESTION OF LITTLE TIME WE HAVE LEFT TO REACH AGREEMENT ON THE WHOLE BUT

LEFT LIKE TO SPEND THE TIME WE HAVE GOT

IN I CONSTRUCTIVE AND USEFUL WAY.

HAD

DAY,

ΤΟ

WOULD

-

DIFFERENTLY.

MUNICIPAL FROM THE

HOW PACKAGE. THE MOST

SEVENTH ALMIGHTY

NOW

WE HAVE HAD 13 ROUNDS OF TALKS. I'M TOLD THAT WE HAVE 120 HOURS OF TALKS.

THE ABOUT

GIVEN THAT HE RESTED ON THAT IS ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT TOOK THE CREATE

AN THE EARTH, BUT WE STILL HAVEN'T GOT

AGREEMENT. THERE ARE SOME ISSUES WHICH ARE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD. THE QUESTION OF IS THE ELECTIONS TO THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS WHICH

THERE'S BARELY TOUCHED ON BY THE JOINT DECLARATION OR THE BASIC LAW

VOTING METHOD FOR ONE FOR YOU. THEN THERE IS THE QUESTION OF THE GROGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES ON WHICH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS ITS VIEWS PERFECTLY CLEAR. AND THIRDLY, THERE IS THE QUESTION OF VOTING AGE IN HONG KONG. IT IS 18 IN BRITAIN. IT IS 18 IN CHINA, WHY DO WE HAVE TO ARGUE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD BE 18 IN KONG?

MADE

THE

SO

HONG

/NOW YOU