5. APART FROM THE SPECIFIC ISSUES RAISED THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT
POLITICAL ISSUES INVOLVED. SOME OF THE CRITICS WHO ARE DEMANDING DEFERMENT OF THE BILL ARE ARGUING THAT AN APPOINTED LEGISLATURE CANNOT BE REGARDED AS REPRESENTATIVE AND SHOULD NOT THEREFORE BE ALLOWED TO PASS SUCH A BILL. OTHER CRITICS ARE SEEKING TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES AS LEGITMATE SPOKESMEN FOR THE COMMUNITY IN COMPETITION
WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHICH THEY CLAIM TO BE UNREPRESENTATIVE AND A CREATURE OF GOVERNMENT. YET OTHERS ARE SEEKING PUBLICITY IN ORDER TO ADVANCE THEIR CHANCE IN THE SEPTEMBER ELECTIONS FOR THE DISTRICT BOARD AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SEATS IN THE NEW LEGCO.
6. THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAVE BEEN VERY READY TO ACCEPT AMENDMENTS TO MEET CONCERNS EXPRESSED TO THEM WHICH THEY REGARD AS LEGITIMATE. THEY ARE RIGHTLY NOT DISPOSED TO GIVE CREDENCE TO THE CLAIM THAT APPOINTED MEMBERS ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY. THEY ALSO RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING BOTH THE AMENDMENTS AND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE REST OF THE BILL FORMALLY ON THE PUBLIC RECORD. HENCE THEIR DETERMINATION TO PRESS AHEAD WITH THE SECOND READING TODAY AND THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO BE DEFLECTED FROM CONFIRMING WHAT THEY SEE AS THE LEGITMATE POWERS AND IMMUNITIES OF THE LEGISLATURE SIMPLY BECAUSE THE PRESSURE GROUPS HAVE EASY ACCESS TO THE MEDIA.
7. IT COULD WELL BE THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF THE AMENDMENTS NOW BEING MADE (AND DEPSPATCHED TO YOUR SEPARATELY), SOME OF THE CONTROVERSY WILL SUBSIDE, AND THE COMMITTEE STAGE OF THE BILL IN 2 WEEKS TIME WILL BE LESS CONTROVERSIAL. BUT IT IS ALSO LIKELY THAT SOME CRITICS WILL CONTINUE TO BE VOCAL IN DEMANDING THAT THE BILL SHOULD BE SUSPENDED IN THE HOPE OF CONFIRMING THEIR CLAIM THAT THE EXISTING MEMBERSHIP IS UNQUALIFIED TO PASS THE BILL AND THAT IT SHOULD WAIT UNTIL ELECTED MEMBERS TAKE THEIR SEATS.
8. A SUMMARY OF THE DEBATE TODAY IS IN MY I.F.T.
WE WILL REPORT FURTHER IN DUE COURSE.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HKD
PS
PS/ MR LUCE SIR W HARDING
MR WILSON
CONFIDENTIAL
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