TNAG-1722-FCO40-2415-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1988 — Page 196

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 14 July 1988

1915

Chinese nationals and who qualify as permanent residents. Real representatives must be chosen through election and not appointed by an invisible hand. Even if we are given a high degree of autonomy, if the power does not fall into the hands of real representatives, but rather into the hands of those appointed, then we do not have a high degree of autonomy-it is merely a high degree of being an agent.

Second, public participation and democratic participation. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Power without checks and balances will turn into absolute power. In the first place, checks and balances should come from the people. Everyone should enjoy equal and democratic political rights, so that they can, according to their own wishes, confer or withdraw power from people and the power in the first place should belong to the people in general. Therefore there should be checks and balances between all sectors. No one sector should be given supreme power; particitation by all sectors will lead to checks and balances. By so doing conflicts will be resolved, leading to cooperation. Only in this way will we be able to prevent the east wind prevailing over the west, or the west wind prevailing over the east, which will lead to acute conflict and deadly struggles.

Third, the separation of power and checks and balances. The separation of -> -executive, legislative and judicial powers is another form of checks and balances. At the same time it is checks and balances from the people and between the different sectors that will ensure a concrete political system. It does not matter when the separation of powers means three governments. It is in fact the crystalisation of the development experience of a capitalistic political system in the past few hundred years. In order to keep the capitalist system and lifestyle, unchanged, it is essential that we have a capitalist political system. Otherwise, a known capitalistic system at the top will definitely shake and destroy the existing capitalist, economic foundation and once that is destroyed, the days of the capitalistic system under the 'one country, two system' concept will be numbered.

Annex III on the formation of the first government and the formation of the legislature. In short, the Standing Committee of the NPC will appoint more than half of the members of the preparatory committee from Hong Kong people. The preparatory committee, according to a certain proportion, will then form an election committee. The election committee will through consultation nominate and elect the Chief Executive and all members of the legislature.

The organisations involved are the Standing Committee of the NPC, pre- paratory committee, election committee and the procedures are appointment, preparation, consultation or election after consultation. The axe hits the hammer and the hammer hits the nail; such is the link and one step affects the next. The appointed preparatory committee decides on the information of the election committee and the election committee will decide on the selection of

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