TNAG-1727-FCO40-2440-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 162

の

4

-

I will start with the pace of development in

general and the timing of introducing direct elections

into the Legislative Council in particular. This has been

a major issue for comment both locally and overseas,

mostly by well-intentioned people who see a full

parliamentary style democracy as the only form of

democratic government. Some find it difficult to accept

the fact that many people in Hong Kong are wary of moving

too far too fast towards a fully-fledged parliamentary

style democracy. But, I have heard many people say that they cannot understand why there should be suche fuss

over the difference between 1988 and 1991 and that the

D of

also

real significance is the fact of the introduction into the

Legislative Council of directly elected members. And

anyone who is prepared to view our development in true

perspective will agree that we are making a major advance

towards a more representative government.

The White Paper provides for 10 directly elected

seats in the Legislative Council in 1991. This means

that, in a matter of six years, Hong Kong will have moved

from a legislature which was entirely appointed, through a

system which provides for an indirectly elected element,

to a legislature with a significant proportion of directly

elected members.