9. UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM THE LINK OF AUTHORITY WITH BRITAIN
IS BOTH THE SOURCE OF THE GOVERNOR'S AUTHORITY AND PROVIDES
THE ASSURANCE THAT HIS AUTHORITY (WHICH IS IN THEORY ALMOST
UNLIMITED) WILL BE EXERCISED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LARGELY
CUSTOMARY, UNWRITTEN CONSTRAINTS-WHICH IN THE BRITISH SYSTEM ARE THE GUARANTEES OF THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL. IF THE LINK WITH BRITAIN IS TO BE BROKEN, AND THE APPOINTED SYSTEM ENDED, A NEW SOURCE OF AUTHORITY WILL BE NEEDED TO
PROVIDE THE POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT.
10. THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN
CONSIDERED A MAJOR OBSTACLE TO THE INTRODUCTION OF A MORE REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. THE CHINESE
HAVE NOW INDICATED THAT THEY ENVISAGE SOME FORM OF ELECTIVE
OP CONSULTATIVE PROCESS FOR THE SELECTION OF THE GOVERNOR/ CHIEF EXECUTIVE POST 1997: THE CHINESE HAVE ALSO SUPPORTED CALLS BY GROUPS IN HONG KONG FOR A GREATER DEGREE OF DEMOCRACY.
IT MAY THEREFORE BE THAT THE CHINESE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY SEEK
TO FRUSTRATE ALL MOVES IN THE DIRECTION OF GREATER DEMOCRACY.
THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
11. TO GIVE IT THE GREATEST INTERNAL STRENGTH HONG KONG WILL
NEED A REPRESENTATIVE STRUCTURE WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF ITS OWN SOCIETY AND THE PRESENT STATE OF ITS POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. IN SPITE OF ITS SUPER- FICIAL WESTERN ASPECT THERE ARE STILL STRONG CHINESE TRADITIONS
IN THE COMMUNITY. IN AS FAR AS THERE HAS BEEN A PUBLIC POL-
ITICAL PROCESS IN HONG KONG THE COMMUNITY HAS SUPPORTED POLICY FORMATION BASED ON CONSULTATION AND CONSENSUS AND NOT ON AN ADVERSORIAL PARTY SYSTEM AS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. GIVEN THE EXTREMELY DELICATE STATE OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IT WILL BE VITAL TO MAINTAIN STABILITY DURING THE PROCESS OF CHANGE. IT WILL BE EASIER TO MAINTAIN THIS STABILITY IF THE INSITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT, EVEN THOUGH DERIVED FROM AN ELECTIVE SYSTEM, REMAIN FAMILIAR AND IF THE NEW STRUCTURE IS BUILT PROGRESSIVELY ON WHAT ALREADY EXISTS. ANY ATTEMPT TO RUSH THE PROCESS AND IMPOSE SUDDEN AND DRAMATIC CHANGE COULD PROVE DISASTROUS. THERE IS MORE THAN A DECADE TO GO BEFORE 1997 AND THERE IS TIME TO DEVELOP THE PROCESS OVER THIS PERIOD.
12. THERE ARE ALSO LIMITING FACTORS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THESE ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) THE ELECTIVE SYSTEM IN HONG KONG IS IN ITS INFANCY.
900,000 OUT OF 2.7 MILLION QUALIFIED TO REGISTER HAVE DONE SO.
OF THOSE WHO REGISTERED 38.8 PER CENT PARTICIPATED IN THE 1981/82 URBAN COUNCIL AND DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.
(B) MOVING TOO QUICKLY COULD LEAD TO RAPID POLARISATION OF THE COMMUNITY AND MIGHT CREATE A DANGER OF POLITICAL RIVALRIES.
(E.G. BETWEEN PRO-TAIWAN AND PRO-CHINA ELEMENTS) IRRELEVANT
TO HONG KONG'S REAL CONCERNS.
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