SEP 18 '06 11:28 TIBCOOU) HK GOVT
In other developments, NCNA HK branch director Xu Jiatun told reporters after attending a ceremony on Lantau Island yesterday that Legco members not belonging to the fact-finding missions would be welcomed to visit Peking if they saw a practical need for it.
He said that Chinese officials concerned would meet members of the
Mr Legco missions when they went to Peking. According to Wen Wei Po, Xu, when asked whether China's invitation would maan China now recognised the status of Legco, said: "I had already recognised the Legco."
The reply by Mr Xu to the question carried in the HK Daily News was : Legco ? We had already recognised it and the recognition was not just arrived at today.
Five Legco members would jointly conduct a public opinion survey next week on Daya Bay and results would be ready in time for the Legco nuclear fact-finding delegations going to Peking on September 18, Ming Pao and the HK Times reported.
The five were Jackie Chan, Richard Lai, Courad Law, Pang Chun-ho i and Poon Chi-fai. They would announce details at a press conference on Sunday.
A report in this morning's radio broadcasts said leaders of the opposition Labour Party had drawn up proposals to gradually phase out Britain's nuclear power plants over a period of 10 years. The party document pointed out that the assumptions that nuclear power would produce energy cheaply, cleanly and safely had proved untenable.
Legco member Martin Lee said on ATV-E's "Newsplus" that it was very difficult for the people of HK to accept that the majority decision in Legco had not been somewhat influenced by the intention of the Governor as expressed through a letter read out at the start of the Legco in-house meeting on Wednesday.
In an editorial, the HK Standard said the Legco and the Government can so easily set aalde a million signatures and ignore such depth of concern is a measure of how our traditional aparthy towards politics is regarded by the powers-that-be. A letter in the paper said the blocking of a call for a special debate by appointed members is a proof that the Government has something it does not want the public to know.
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The HK Economic Journal said that the fact the Governor rejection of pleas for a special Legco sitting was based on the majority view in the council did not mean that in future, he would decide every issue on the basis of the majority thinking of the councillors. Anything that would not be in line with the interests of Britain and China would be unacceptable to the Governor.
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