TNAG-1286-FCO40-16372-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong.-Part-2-of-2-1984 — Page 73

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groups and interest groups, who formulate their criticisms and

comments without the responsibility of the Executive, much as

the opposition party in a western democracy. On the other hand

government's advisers like ourselves, who are neither the

Opposition nor Executive but are considered as part of the

government machinery, present another form of input which the

Administration can use to cross check external contributions.

Such input takes into consideration public views as well as the

Administration's thinking and constraints and tries to offer

workable compromises.

With the introduction of direct election, it is highly

likely that external critics of government become a part of

government and thereby alter the whole nature of the existing

consensus style of politics, and would possibly undermine the

hitherto proven success we have had in solving most of our

problems within government.

There are some suggestions that there should be

partial direct election. In other words, there should be some

seats on LegCo to be set aside for direct election. Attractive

as it may sound, this would not be practical for it would

create a disparity between those who are directly elected and therefore could claim they represent the entire population or

big sections of it, and the other Members who are indirectly

elected and therefore could only claim to represent a much

smaller, at least in terms of number, albeit different

constituency.

I would therefore support the present proposal of

indirect election into LegCo, to be reviewed in 1989, when we

will have the option of direction election if we so wish.

May I now move onto issues which I regard as equally

if not more important, and certainly more urgent than the one I

have just dealt with.