directly-elected members or have
ectly-elected members".
At no point were respondents asked the simple question: Are you in favour of direct elections to a proportion of seats the Legislative Council in 1988?
Three of the sub-questions were phrased in a negative form, and the fourth was conceptually tangled.
Moreover, no effort to simplify the wording of the questionnaire was made even though preliminary trials showed that 40% of respondents either had no views or were confused by the questionnaire.
Credibility Gap
This largely explains the sizeable gap between the figures provided by the McNair poll, used as reference by the Survey Office, and those provided by numerous other polls during the
consultation period. (Some of these are quoted by the Survey Report, and Hong Kong Link also acknowledges that
many of them, though by no means all, are less than scientific.)
Whereas public polls regularly suggested that between 40% and 60% of Hong Kong people supported, or did not oppose, direct elections in 1988, the McNair poll suggested that only some 12-15% positively wanted direct elections in 1988.
Many in the democracy campaign would accept that the majority of Hong Kong citizens are not yet in favour of direct elections next year: but none would accept so low a figure or agree, as the McNair poll implied, that those positively opposed to direct election in 1988 are a larger number than those positively in support of it.
Those in favour of reform argue that the Survey Report is, on this issue,
MARTIN LEE LEADS DELEGATION TO LONDON
From December 7 to December 10, Legislative Councillor Martin Lee and a delegation of some ten political leaders in Hong Kong will be in London to press for direct elections to the Legislative Council in 1988. The party will include three Legislative Councillors, an elected District Board member, and representatives of the Joint Coalition for the Promotion of Democratic Government, the Hong Kong Observers, the Hong Kong Affairs Society and the Association for Democracy and Public Livelihood. As well as a trade union leader and a
representative of Hong Kong’s students, the delegation will contain two doctors, a barrister, a company director, a merchant banker, and a college lecturer.
There has never been a delegation from Hong Kong representing so wide a swathe of public opinion.
The delegation arrives early on the morning of Monday December 7, and will begin the formal programme by holding a press conference at 11am on the same day, before starting a series of meetings with MPs and peers during the afternoon.
The Government
The delegation has asked to meet the British Prime Minister or the Foreign Secretary, both of whom were of course directly involved in approval of the Sino-British Agreement which Mrs Thatcher initialled in 1985. It is understood, however, that neither Mrs
Thatcher nor Sir Geoffrey Howe have felt able to make room in their timetables to meet with the delegation.
It has since been announced that December 7 is the day on which the Soviet leader, Mr Michael Gorbachov, will stop over in London before flying on to New York to sign the INF accord with the United States.
Members of the delegation have been offered a meeting with Lord
DELEGATION FOR DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG London,
December 7-10 1987
List of Delegates
Mr Martin LEE Chu-Ming, QC, Delegation leader
Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council;
Member of the Basic Law Drafting Committee.
Mr Jackie CHAN Chai-Keung
Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
Dr Conrad LAM Kui-shing
Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
Dr DING Lik-Kiu MD, MCPS
Chairman, Democracy
Livelihood;
Association for and People's
Chairman, Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee;
3
discredited and discreditable to the British authorities. They argue that the only way to clear the air and resolve the confusions that are developing is to hold a referendum, and ask the population of Hong Kong to say very clearly whether they want, or do not want, direct elections in 1988.
The shortcomings of the Survey Report undoubtedly influenced the decision of those who went to London with Martin Lee's Delegation for Democracy in December. The administration has repeatedly shown itself to be inept at political management first over Daya Bay, then over the Public Order Act, now over the Green Paper and the Survey Report. Many feel that the implications for the transition are so grave that they cannot afford to wait any longer for the Hong Kong government to sort itself
out.
Glenarthur, Secretary of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office responsible for Hong Kong.
Parliament
In the House of Commons, meetings have been arranged with the Labour Party, the Liberal and SDP parties, and backbencher groups such as the British-Hong Kong Parliamentary group, the British Chinese
Chairman, Hong Kong Association for Democracy and Justice.
Ms Teresa MA Ka-Ming
Representative, the Hong Kong Observers.
Dr John YOUNG Yi-Leung
Representative, the Hong Kong Affairs Society.
Mr WONG Wai-hung
Chairman, Federation of Civil Service Unions (HK)
Mr LEE Shun Wai
Elected member, Central & Western District Board; Executive Secretary, Hong Kong Affairs Society;
Representative, Joint Committee for the Promotion of Democratic `Government (an umbrella organisation for more than one hundred interest groups in Hong Kong).
Mr MAK Tung-Wing
President, Hong Kong University Students' Union.
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