XN000022-1994-09-19 — Page 4

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1994

TO

POLITICAL

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, TWO-THIRDS OF THE VOTERS HAVE NOT TURNED OUT THAT SUGGESTS THAT HONG KONG IS FAR OFF FROM THE

VOTE.

CENTRE....?

HAVE

GOVERNOR: I'VE NEVER USED THAT EXPRESSION THOUGH OTHERS ACTUALLY

CRITERION IN UNITED BUT I AM SURE HOW YOU WOULD HAVE APPLIED THAT KINGDOM FROM WHICH WE'VE BOTH COME. THE LAST LOCAL ELECTIONS, SAID EARLIER, OVER WHICH I PRESIDED IN UNITED KINGDOM, HAD TURNOUT RATE THAN THE TURNOUT RATE WE SAW TODAY. SO, I YOU ARE SAYING IS THAT UNITED KINGDOM ISN'T A POLITICAL COMMUNITY.

AS I A LOWER SUPPOSE WHAT

QUESTION: ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE GENERAL ELECTIONS IN 1992 ?

GOVERNOR: NO, I AM REFERRING TO THE DISTRICT ELECTIONS IN 1992.

QUESTION: HOW AFFAIRS ADVISERS..

CONCERNED ARE YOU THAT CHINA

..?

HAS

APPOINTED

DISTRICT

AND

TO

GOVERNOR: I THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN HONG KONG IN THE LAST MONTHS YEARS IS THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTANDABLY ATTACH PARTICULAR CREDIBILITY

THE CASE WITH THOSE THAT THEY'VE ELECTED AND I THINK THAT WILL BE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS AS IT IS WITH LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THINK THAT THE

QUESTION: SEVERAL WINNERS ARE INDEPENDENTS. DO YOU PARTY INFLUENCE MAY NOT BE SO STRONG FOR THE PEOPLE?

OF RESULTS GOVERNOR: I AM NOT SURE. I THINK WE'VE ONLY HAD A COUPLE

THAT ONE SHOULDN'T AND I'M

ABOUT EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO KNOW JUST

ΤΟ BE PERHAPS GENERALISE AFTER TWO RESULTS WHEN THERE ARE MANY MORE

IN EXPECTED THIS EVENING. BUT, I THINK IT IS PROBABLY THE CASE THAT

HAVE VERY LOCAL ELECTIONS, INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES ARE ALWAYS GOING TO

TALKING ABOUT A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF BEING ELECTED BECAUSE YOU ARE SMALLER ELECTORATES AND BY DEFINITION, IT IS LIKELY THAT PEOPLE BE BETTER KNOWN IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBOURHOODS. SO, I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD CONTINUE

TRADITION OF A SUBSTANTIAL TO BE INDEPENDENTS WINNING SEATS IN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS AND I THINK EVERYBODY RECOGNISES THAT MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT DISTRICT BOARDS TALK AND THEREFORE, ABOUT

MATTERS TRANSCEND ANY PARTY POLITICAL INDEPENDENTS WHO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS PARTICULAR CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE. ONE LAST QUESTION.

QUESTION: WHICH PARTY WERE YOU PREVIOUSLY?

WILL

HAVE A

GOVERNOR: I USED TO BE A CONSERVATIVE WHEN I WAS IN THEY ARE NOT STANDING IN THESE ELECTIONS. NOTHING AT ALL.

NOWADAYS,

UNITED KINGDOM. OF COURSE, I'VE

QUESTION: DO YOU THINK THE TURNOUT RATE REFLECTS SUPPORT YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PACKAGE?

THAT THE PUBLIC

FACT

GOVERNOR: I THINK THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE VOTING TODAY REFLECTS THE THAT HONG KONG IS A GROWN-UP COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

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