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TO SEE THE 1987 REVIEW LEADING TO DRAMATIC CHANGES.
HOWEVER THE QUESTION OF INTRODUCING A DIRECTLY ELECTED
ELEMENT INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CONTINUES TO ATTRACT
GREATER PUBLIC INTEREST THAN ANY OTHER ISSUE. VIEWS ARE
DIVIDED. THOSE OPPOSED TO THE INTRODUCTION OF A DIRECTLY
ELECTED ELEMENT IN 1988 (AT PRESENT PROBABLY A MAJORITY)
ARGUE THAT THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY IS NOT READY FOR SUCH A
DEVELOPMENT, WHICH COULD BE DESTABILISING. THOSE IN
SUPPORT MAINTAIN THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY OF ENSURING AN
EVOLUTION OF A GENUINELY REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT,
CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING THE QUOTE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY
UNQUOTE PROVIDED FOR IN THE JOINT DECLARATION. WHERE THE
COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATURE IN 1997 IS CONCERNED,
THERE SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD ACCEPTANCE, EVEN AMONG
MANY OF THE MORE CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL
GROUPINGS, THAT THE DIRECT ELECTION OF UP TO 25 PER CENT
MIGHT THEN BE TOLERABLE, AND MIGHT NEUTRALISE DEMANDS
FOR EVEN MORE RADICAL CHANGE. THE DIVISION OF OPINION IN
THE BLOC SUB-GROUP ON THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT, IN
WHICH A NUMBER OF THE HONG KONG MEMBERS ARE AT PRESENT
AGAINST THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS EVEN AFTER
1997, IS PROBABLY NOT A TRUE REFLECTION OF THE OPINION OF
THE COMMUNITY. MOST OF THE PUBLIC DEBATE IS IN FACT NOW
TENDING TO FOCUS ON THE TIMING OF THE INTRODUCTION OF A
DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT AND ON THE PROPORTION OF MEMBERS
OF THE LEGISLATURE TO BE SELECTED BY THIS METHOD.
UNQUOTE.
PARA 25. WE PROPOSED TO MAKE THE PENULTIMATE SENTENCE
CLEARER BY RE-PHRASING IT AS FOLLOWS:
QUOTE MOREOVER FOUR OF THE SEVEN HONG KONG MEMBERS OF THE
SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE BLDC DRAFTING THE RELEVANT SECTION
OF THE BASIC LAW ARE AT PRESENT EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO
DIRECT ELECTIONS. UNQUOTE.
PARA 28. AMEND THE FIRST TWO SENTENCES TO READ:
QUOTE WE HAVE NOT YET MADE AS MUCH PROGRESS OVER THE 1987
REVIEW. THE CHINESE HAVE NOW BEEN BROUGHT TO ACCEPT THAT
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