5.
Arrangements for the last cycle of elections in Hong Kong under British sovereignty in 1994 and 1995 cannot be considered in isolation. They form part of a long process of gradual development in Hong Kong's system of representative
government. The Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 and
China's Basic Law for Hong Kong which will come into force on
1 July 1997 between them set the pace for democratic development in Hong Kong. The wishes of the people of Hong Kong are also a crucial factor. There has been a steadily growing demand, given added impetus by Tiananmen Square, for
Hong Kong people to have more say in the running of their own
affairs. The first part of this White Paper summarises these
developments. It also addresses a question I am often asked: why did Britain not introduce democracy to Hong Kong much earlier? They short answer is that for many years the community had other priorities, that there was a deep-seated
concern that politics would mean sharp polarisation, and that this could lead China to invoke its claim to sovereignty over
Hong Kong.
6.
A gradual development of democracy has however been
under way since 1984. The question which confronted the new
Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, on his arrival in
mid-1992 was how to reconcile the clear wish in the community for further movement towards democracy, with the equally strong interest in legislative arrangements which were capable
of enduring beyond 1997, thus providing an important element of continuity.
7. The Governor's proposals of October 1992 were his-and our-answer to this question. They provided for a modest development of democracy, which was fully compatible with the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law and any relevant agreements between Britain and China. The objective which underpins our whole approach is that electoral arrangements should be fair,
statememt26.8/BRIEFS/NJK
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