TNAG-1442-FCO40-1926-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 180

QUOTED IN THE ARTICLE, WONG WAS QUOTED AS BEING

ALLEN LEE ADVOCATED THE

5. THE OTHER LEGCO/EXCO MEMBERS WHO WERE HOWEVER, EXPRESSED RESERVATION. PETER C.

MN FAVOUR OF MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO.

RENTENTION OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCHES. SANDBERG WAS ALSO

REPORTED TO HAVE EXPRESSED HIS DISPLEASURE WHITH THE CONDUCT OF A

FEW ELECTED MEMBERS IN THE LEGCO.

6. THE ARTICLE WENT ON TO CRITICHIZE THAT SOME ELECTED MEMBERS

HAD NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY

AS A WHOLE, AND HAD SIMPLY TAKEN TO OPPOSING EVERY PROPOSAL

WITHOUT GIVING ANY SERIOUS THOUGHT TO THE ISSUES INVOLVED.

A PHENOMENON CALLED FOR CONCERN.

SUCH

7. THE ARTICLE THEN POINTED OUT THAT THE DEBATE ON THE QUESTION

OF DIRECT ELECTION HAD HIGHLIGHTED A NUMBER OF ISSUES:

(A) THE BRITISH WERE WORRIED THAT SHOULD THE INTRODUCTION OF

DIRECT ELECTION PROCEED TOO RAPHOLY, THE HK GOVERNMENT WOULD BE

CRIPPLED BY THE OUTSPOKEN'' ELECTED LEGCO MEMBERS AND THE

HINEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE WOULD BE A ''LAME-DUCK'' ADMINISTRATION.

9

(B) THOSE WHO WERE IN THE EXISTING ESTABLISHMENT WERE APPREHENSIVE

ABOUT BEING OUTDONE BY DIRECTLY-ELECTED LEGCO MEMBERS WHO REGARDED

THEMSELVES AS BEING REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PUBLIC.

(C) THE BUSINESS SECTOR WAS WORRIED THAT THE INTERNAL POLITICS

OF THE LEGCO WOULD AFFECT THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ADMINISTRATION.

#INSTABIILIITY BROUGHT ABOUT BY SUCH POLITICAL BICKERING WOULD

JEOPARDIZE THEMR HINVESTMENTS.

(D) ADVOCATES OF DIRECT ELECTION WERE EAGER TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTION IN 1988, SO AS TO BE ONE-STEP AHEAD HIN THE ISSUE OF

CONVERGENCE.

Во

FINALLY, DRAWING ON REMARKS BY MAN SA CHEONG, THE WRHTER CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT MANY PEOPLE WERE ALREADY AWARE OF THE

VARIOUS PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THE #INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTION.

NT NOTED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PUBLIC WERE ON FAVOUR OF DIVERSIFIED CHANNELS OF ELECTION TO LEGCO, RATHER THAN HAVING

LEGCO CONSTITUTED SOLELY BY DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS.

9.

IN THE THIRD AND FINAL SECTION OF THE ARTICLE, WHICH TOUCHED ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ECONOMIC FRONT IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS,

MENTION WAS MADE OF LOCAL ATTEMPTS TO SET UP A NEW ENGLISH

NEWSPAPER. THE ARTICLE EXPLAINED THAT GIVEN THE PROMINENCE

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