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The paper noted that in proposing the amendment motion, Martin Lee had expressed a lack of confidence in the independence of the judicial system in the SAR. As the question of judicial independence was outside the scope of the Legco debate, it was most unwise for Legco to hastily pass such a motion.
The paper (28.6) said that Legco's decision to abolish the death penalty would not only disappoint law-abiding citizens, but also add to people's worries over law and order in the territory.
INFLATION
An easing of inflation and a cutback in interest rates by one percentage point drew 12 editorials and short leaders from nine papers during the past week.
Noting a drop in inflation in May, Sing Tao Jih Pao (28.6) said that efforts to curb price increases must not be relaxed. It maintained that the drop, prompted by seasonal adjustments in demand and supply and the tobacco duty cut, should not be taken as an indication that the Government's anti-inflation measures had worked.
In a short commentary (29.6), the paper said that the reduction in interest rates had nothing to do with an easing of inflation. It was only to relieve pressure on the HK dollar.
Ta Kung Pao's short leader (29.6) said that the consumer price Indexes for the past three months indicated that tax hikes and increases in charges and fares for franchised services had seriously aggravated inflation, but the Government had not taken effective measures to control the situation. It also felt that the reduction of interest rates showed that the administration was wrong in asking the banks to increase interest rates in the first place. The paper urged the Government to review and carefully work out its monetary and economic policies.
Reiterating opposition to raising interest rates, the paper in another short leader (2.7) said that the Government should reduce interference in the territory's monetary institutions.
"Monetary bodies should be given greater autonomy; otherwise, they will not be able to effectively deal with their increasingly professional and specialised business," the paper said.
Wen Wei Po (29.6) and Sing Pao (29.6) said that the Government must continue with efforts to combat inflation. Both papers warned against premature optimism that inflation would significantly improve in the second half of the year.
Wah Kiu Yat Po's short leader (29.6) felt that it was still too early to say whether inflation had eased. It said that ordinary citizens would not feel relieved until they stopped paying more for transport, food and accommodation.
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