TNAG-1396-FCO40-1868-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1985 — Page 65

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Public Reaction

Most commentators approached for their opinion were satisfied with the composition of the committee as approved by the NPC Standing Committee. Reservations were however expressed by some who felt that the grassroots had not been adequately represented on the committee.

Urbco member Frederick Fung noted that most of the HK members were personalities from business and industry and that very few were young and from the middle and lower classes. He hoped that new blood would be injected into the committee after an initial three-year term. Together with Central and Western DB chairman Vincent Ko, Mr Fung called for an early announcement of the terms of reference of the committee so that the work of the drafting and consultative committees would not overlap.

Social Workers' General Union chairman Mak Hoi-wah, Federation of Civil Service Unions chairman Wong Wai-hung and Civil Service General Union chairman Anthony Luk felt that the drafting committee should listen to public views on a wide basis and that the future consultative committee should include representatives from all sections of the community. Mr Luk felt that civil service unionists should be appointed to the consultative committee because they knew the workings of the Government and would be able to provide useful advice.

Chairman of Asian Productivity Organisation Graham Chen said he was confident that the HK members would work whole-heartedly with the Chinese members in drafting a Basic Law which would maintain HK's prosperity and stability.

In an interview with Radio-3, Chinese University lecturer Dr Joseph Cheng said the group of HK people on the drafting committee was truly representative of the community here. He felt that the major function of the committee was to provide legitimacy to the Basic Law in the absence of a referendum. He noted that the actual drafting work would be carried out. by a secretariat formed by people from China's State Council, the HK and Macau Affairs Office and the Foreign Ministry. Therefore, the major difficulty facing the committee was whether there would be an effective dialogue between the Chinese experts who were actually drafting the Basic Law and the HK members on the committee.

While

According to the HK Economic Journal, Meeting Point issued an opinion paper yesterday on the membership of the drafting committee. welcoming the membership list, the group felt that political groups and grassroots organisations were under-represented. It suggested that these groups be represented on a wide basis on the consultative committee.