XN000022-1995-07-13 — Page 9

That for me offers every opportunity of a smooth transition. I haven't in the past, didn't yesterday, don't today, won't in the future regard the steady process of democratisation in Hong Kong and its effect on this Chamber as in any way a threat to the stability or prosperity of Hong Kong. Rather the reverse. And I hope that after their experience of fighting the Legislative Council elections in September, following their experience of fighting the elections for the District Boards and Municipal Councils that some of the candidates most normally associated with PRC criticisms of what we've been doing in Hong Kong will come to share our view that there's nothing to be frightened of in a decently elected Legislative Council in Hong Kong.

So I think that the best way of securing a smooth transition is to make sure those elections in the autumn take place as efficiently and smoothly as possible and then for the Legislative Council to go on behaving over the next years as constructively as it's I'm sure usually tried to behave in the last four years.

Mr K K Fung (through interpreter): Can I follow up please? Now I think the Governor is aware of this. Last year NPC of China passed a resolution that is in 1997 the three tiers of the political structure would be dismantled. Now Mr Governor, with regard to your potential negotiations with China in future, now will you take up the issue of smooth transition of the three tiers of Government through whatever form? Will you put that on the agenda?

Governor: Well as far as we're concerned it's always on the agenda, but it's not the Government of Hong Kong which is threatening a smooth transition. We've put in place arrangements which are entirely in line with the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. We think they're arrangements, which are in Hong Kong's interests. We think they're arrangements which I guess September will demonstrate, have the broad support of people here in Hong Kong and I see no reason to disrupt or dismantle those arrangements. Among the many things I'm not responsible for in the world, one of them is the NPC. I see absolutely no reason at all why anyone should regard it as necessary in 1997 to dismantle the Legislative Council which the people of Hong Kong will have elected in 1995. But I mean, I don't want to be provocative, that's my situation, always has been, always will be.

Mr Szeto Wah (through interpreter): There was mention of a certain epidemic by a certain person and he said that that kind of epidemic should be stamped out. Another disease, or another epidemic crossed my mind. That had a lot to do with damage done to the Rule of Law. In the courts there are many more people suffering from amnesia. Outside the courts many politicians suffer from this kind of disease. They forget what they uttered in the past. How are we to cure this kind of discase please?