TNAG-1286-FCO40-16372-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong.-Part-2-of-2-1984 — Page 95

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unfamiliar or even dreadful to many citizens of Hong Kong.

Therefore,

the government should lend more substantial support in civic and school

education in order to cultivate a sense of participation among the public.

In this respect, the "non-intervention policy" of the government cannot

be applied since participation in politics on the part of the public can

hardly be achieved speedily without the keen promotion of the government.

Secondly, the government should, during the coming three years, strengthen the

machinery for a close observation and appraisal of the various aspects

where changes in the system of government are introduced, with reports

frequently submitted, so that the overall review to be made in 1987 would

be more firmly based and the actual position and progress more accurately and

substantially grasped.

ment.

What the community is concerned at present is the degree of

acceptability by the Hong Kong people towards such an open system of govern-

I think it is the people's fundamental right to decide who should

run the Legislative Council. Therefore, the selection of part of the member-

ship in the Legislative Council by direct election cannot be disputed and it

is only a matter of time. As to whether direct election can effectively be

introduced, much will depend on the people's participation in and readiness

for politics. I notice that the elected element in District Board member-

ship is gradually expanding and it may be estimated that in the next few

years the government should increase the proportion of elected members in

the composition of District Board membership so as to further raise the

proportion of elected District Board members by direct election.

I attempt

to evolve a guideline as a reference for the assessment of the process of

direct election into the Legislative Council : I think that once the ratio

/P. 4