this Council who serve
as the people's representatives (whether democratically elected or not), to stand up at all times for our people's true interests. It is this goal of fighting for Hong Kong's interests that the United Democrats have set for ourselves.
The election has made clear that the majority of people in Hong Kong agree with our ideas. Yet, the process of serving as elected representatives has only just begun. I encourage all citizens to continue to give us your ideas, to criticise us, to tell us what you agree with, and to ensure that we do indeed represent you. We will only be as effective a party as you make us. To ensure that we are acting in your interests and to help solve your problems, we are in the process of opening members' ward offices in every constituency,
every constituency, and I encourage all our citizens to visit our ward offices and make your views known to us. Our financial resources are extremely limited, and we still have much to learn as a party; yet, we promise that we will work to the fullest of our abilities to serve you.
During the next two days, the members of the United Democrats in this Council will set forward our vision of the future and the road map to our goals. We are firmly committed to capitalism and wish to see a free and vigorous economy with healthy competition in all sectors. At the same time, we wish to see a greater degree of fairness and concern for all members of the community reflected in the economic and social policies of the Government. I refer in particular to the need to alter the present emphasis on regressive indirect taxes, to fight inflation, to establish retirement protection for the elderly, and to ensure that the pace and scope of the new airport construction will not adversely affect our obligations to provide social services to the community. My colleagues will go into these and other aspects in detail today and tomorrow, and we hope that we will be able to work with other Members of this Council and with the administration to achieve our policy goals.
As for myself, I will focus on three major areas: democracy, the relationship between the executive and the legislature, and the role of Hong Kong in the Hong Kong-China- Britain triangle.
Democracy: During the election campaign, no issue was more important to the people of Hong Kong than democracy; even pro- China candidates were quick to place democracy at the top of their political platforms! Yet, the Governor now blusters that the pace of democracy depends on how well the new legislature works. I wonder how many times throughout history have unelected kings and despots repeated this pretext to deny democratic rights to their subjects!
For the British Government to follow such a line in Hong Kong displays an extraordinary degree of hypocrisy. Just two weeks ago at the Commonwealth Conference, the British Prime Minister, Mr. John Major, asserted, "The bedrock of what we must do must be the general application of democracy and human rights.
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