TNAG-1397-FCO40-1869-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1985 — Page 224

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The list shows an unbiased membership and people of

all sectors are satisfied with it. Of course there are some who are

not too satisfied with it. For instance, one newspaper which often reflects the government's opinions remarked that the omission of Sze-yuen CHUNG from the list symbolizes the inveteracy of the conser- vative influence at Beijing and that the Hong Kong membership, not necessarily a large one, should be filled by the professionals who have a thorough understanding of the constitutional and legal systems

of Hong Kong.

What they intend to say is this :- There are now too many representatives from all quarters and this runs counter to their demand for a 'small' membership. There should, preferably, be fewer members on the Drafting Committee which would absorb all the elitists

of the two Councils and discard all the others.

If such idea is accepted, it would look as if the members are drafting the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges)

Bill rather than the Basic Law of the HK SAR.

It could not work without a wide representation

because the Basic Law of Hong Kong is a political programme that will outline the future pattern of the local government, the aspects of freedom and democracy as well as the system of economic function, and that has much to do with the fundamental interests of all classes of people from all walks of life. But some people just prefer to have fewer members

to represent all, the fewer the better. In their mind, Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong is in fact the existing elitists on the two Councils ruling Hong Kong. In flattering the 'two Councils', they naturally have to raise the elitists of the two Councils to a position very much higher than the others; and Sze-yuen CHUNG, for instance, is the big boss on the seniority list. In arranging the entry of two

councillors Maria TAM and WONG Po-yan and also Justice Simon LI into the Drafting Committee, Beijing has the intention of absorbing as many as it can the people of the existing system for a joint project, but such an act cannot appease the 'orthodox' thinking of those who stick to the order of seniority on the membership list of the two Councils.