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MDLIAN 195
GOVERNOR'S RECORD IN OFFICE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ECONOMIC INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION UNQUOTE AND THE LEFT-WING COMMERCIAL DAILY ARGUED
ON 8 JANUARY THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD TAKEN TWO WRONG DECISIONS
DURING HIS TERM OF OFFICE: VIZ, BUILDING THE NEW AIRPORT AND EXPANDING TERTIARY EDUCATION.
4 -
THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE CRITICISM ABOUT THE WAY THE GOVERNOR'S RETIREMENT WAS ANNOUNCED. MOST PAPERS QUOTED ALLEN LEE ON 7 JANUARY AS SAYING THAT THE HANDLING OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS UNSATISFACTORY AND THAT HE WOULD MAKE THIS POINT DURING HIS FORTHCOMING VISIT TO LONDON. ON THE SAME DAY, THE EXPRESS AND THE COMMERCIAL DAILY SAID THAT LONDON HAD ACTED WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE VIEWS AND INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. BOTH PAPERS ARGUED THAT THE HANDLING HAD BEEN QUOTE DETRIMENTAL TO THE STABILITY OF HONG KONG, IN PARTICULAR THE CIVIL SERVICE UNQUOTE. A COLUMNIST IN THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL ON 8 JANUARY REFLECTED A COMMON VIEW THAT THE EXPLANATION OFFERED FOR THE EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOVERNOR'S RETIREMENT WAS ENTIRELY INADEQUATE. THE WRITER WENT ON TO SAY THAT QUOTE CHINA'S CONSPIRACY THEORIES PERHAPS MADE MORE SENSE THAN LONDON'S EXPLANATION UNQUOTE. THIS WEEK'S FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW ALSO
FOUND THE EXPLANATION UNCONVINCING. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL IN ITS 9
JANUARY EDITORIAL DESCRIBED THE DECISION TO ANNOUNCE THE GOVERNOR'S COMING RETIREMENT WITHOUT NAMING HIS SUCCESSOR AS QUOTE IRRESPONSIBLE UNQUOTE.
5.
SPECULATION ABOUT WHO WILL BE THE NEXT GOVERNOR HAS CONTINUED. NO NEW NAMES HAVE EMERGED, AND MOST COMMENTATORS SEEM TO HAVE BASED THEIR ASSESSMENTS ON REPORTS IN THE UK PRESS. SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, DR. DAVID OWEN AND MR. TOM KING ARE SEEN AS THE FRONT RUNNERS, BUT SPECULATION ABOUT SENIOR DIPLOMATS HAS CONTINUED. A GOOD DEAL OF THE ANALYSIS HAS FOCUSED ON THE PRIORITIES FOR THE NEW GOVERNOR. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SOUTH CHINA
MORNING POST EDITORIAL ON 11 JANUARY QUOTED THE RESULTS OF AN
OPINION POLL IN WHICH RESPONDENTS HAD MADE GOOD RELATIONS WITH
CHINA THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. THE WRITER SAID THAT GREATER DEMOCRACY CAME QUOTE WELL DOWN THE LIST OF PRIORITIES UNQUOTE.
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THE RESULTS OF AN OPINION POLL REPORTED IN MING PAO ON 13
JANUARY (PARA 2 ABOVE) INDICATED THAT MOST RESPONDENTS WANTED A NEW GOVERNOR WHO QUOTE UNDERSTAND THE HONG KONG SITUATION, WHO IS WILLING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMMUNITY, PROTECT THEIR
INTERESTS AND DO SOMETHING TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVELIHOOD. AS IN THE SCMP POLL, MOST RESPONDENTS HOPED FOR A COMFORTABLE RELATIONSHIP
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