TNAG-1722-FCO40-2415-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1988 — Page 116

Job No. 166880

HANSARD/JUL13:06

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

- 13 July 1988

1833

for the best of reasons, we must be careful not to lock Hong Kong into a rigid frame that prevents it from responding to the need for change in ways that cannot be predicted.

Sir, I am sure that my colleagues who follow me will take up many general and specific points on the draft which have already attracted comment. My own concerns will be among them. But if we seem to concentrate in this debate upon the defects or the weaknesses of the draft Basic Law, it must not be forgotten that the labours of the drafting committee have produced much that is good and a source of satisfaction. Its length owes much to a praiseworthy desire to ensure that nothing in the Joint Declaration was left out and to accommodate too many sectional interests.

The Basic Law drafters' response to the many comments and suggestions from Hong Kong community will be crucial. Hong Kong expects the final draft to reflect their wishes and aspirations in a positive way. The Basic Law is the key to our future, and to our confidence in our future. A great deal is at stake both for China and for Hong Kong.

Sir, I beg to move the motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.

Question proposed.

Mr. Andrew Wong: Sir, I rise in support of the motion moved by the Senior Member the hon. Miss Lydia DUNN 'That this Council takes note of "the Draft Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (for solicitation of opinions)" and urges the people of Hong Kong to study the draft and to express their views on it.' I also take this opportunity to relate to you, Sir, the deliberations and preliminary views of the Standing Panel on Constitutional Development of the Office of Members of the Executive and Legialative Councils, and to place such views on record.

Sir, the present draft Basic Law was first released in May 1988 after more than two years of hard work on the part of the Basic Law Drafting Committee of the People's Republic of China. Since then, the Constitutional Development Panel has had a total of 14 meetings, all within a short period of about eight weeks. In other words, we have been meeting practically twice a week on this most important issue of the draft Basic Law. Most of the meetings were scheduled for 8.30 am. Here, I must thank Members who despite their heavy commitments, found time to attend the meetings. I must also thank the staff of the OMELCO, without whose support services, our deliberations would have been impossible.

The panel has studied the text of the draft Basic Law en toto article by article, and has arrived at a large number of consensual, though preliminary, views. Although the approach has been one of studying the text article by article, if I am not mistaken in my assessment, three considerations loom large and have been at the forefront of the minds of Members.