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instead of spending the next three years arguing and speculating
over whether there should be direct election or not,
we can start working constructively towards direct election as a part of the Legislative Council in 1991.
And equally important, we can concentrate
on the business of this Council, the passing of legislation
to improve the way our community works. When the Basic Law is promulgated in 1990, there will be other important issues to sort out other than just direct election to the Legislative Council. For example,
the relationship between the Legislature and the Executive
and ensuring a smooth transfer from our present system to the system that will come into being in 1997. It
is vital that the single issue of direct election should not be allowed to displace all other important issues
17 that we have to consider.
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Sir, when I spoke in July 1987,
I said it was quite wrong to argue that direct election is a means of sealing Hong Kong from Chinese interference in the future. It is not to my surprise that there
are people in Hong Kong who are currently advocating independence. Where were these people during the Sino-British negotiations ? What did they do during
the negotiations ? It is saddening that these individuals are now using their position to discredit the Hong
Kong Government. I want to hear again from those people who have repeatedly said in public that, if
we do not have direct election in 1988, we will never
31 have direct election.
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Sir, while I was in Paris last
week trying to promote French investment into Hong 35 Kong, the Executive Director of the French Commerce 36 and Industry Organisation, CNPF, asked me about some
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