TNAG-1286-FCO40-16372-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong.-Part-2-of-2-1984 — Page 93

Sir,

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Draft Speech by The Hon. Mrs. Pauline NG CHCW May-lin

Legislative Council - 2.8.84

Unofficial Member's Motion

I recall that in the middle of 1980 when I attended a meeting of

the Area Committee, I was given a copy of the Green Paper on 'A Pattern of

District Administration in Hong Kong' published by the government.

At

that time, The City District Officer called on the area committee members to

put forward their comments. Although I had reservations about the idea

of district administration then, yet after I was appointed the first term

District Board member in May, 1981 and having devoted myself to the work of

district administration, I personally sensed the sincerity of the government

in moving towards an open political set-up. The first election of District

Board members held in 1982 made the people of Hong Kong realize that the

era of political indifference had given way to an era of political participation.

No wonder the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, said at the

press conference on 20 April 1984

"In the days to come, the government

of Hong Kong will continue striding forward along the road to a representative

government."

I realize that in these few years good efforts have been made by the

government to promote an open administration structure and to develop a

representative government in Hong Kong, and I welcome the development of

gradual participation by the public in policy-making as mentioned in the Green

Paper on Representative Government. And this progressive development in the

change of the political system will take its first step in the Legislative

Council in 1985 when some seats of the Council will be elected by an electoral

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