pa
HKB 011/0
REG:
ILDEGISTRY
03 1993
REGISTRY
22 July 1993
POSITION RADER FŐCUPHİCKBRITISH GOVERNMENT
ON HONG KONG'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
After the eighth round of Sino-British talks the people of Hong Kong are told that the two sides are finally discussing on substantive issues about the 1994/95 elections.
As directly elected legislators, we would, of course, like to see the talks result in a good agreement on the 1994/95 electoral arrangements. But there are two things that we are very much concerned about. First, we are very troubled by the fact that the people of Hong Kong, including legislators, are kept in the dark about these negotiations which concern our very future. Second, we would not like to see the Chinese and British governments reaching an agreement just for the sake of an agreement. Any agreement reached must not only be "open, fair and acceptable to Hong Kong people" as Mr. Patten has repeatedly said, but it must be one which gives us the democracy that we want.
We must remind the British government of the promises contained in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which require the executive authorities to be accountable to a fully elected legislature. There cannot be an accountable government unless the legislature itself is elected democratically by the people. And even if we cannot have the entire Legislative Council constituted by direct election in 1995, we must insist that the majority of the legislators be democratically elected by universal suffrage (whether by geographical or functional constituencies). This is the only way to ensure that our legislature would not be under the control of the government of the Hong
Hong Kong
Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Only then will the legislature have a chance of holding the government accountable to it, while at the same time being accountable to the people of Hong Kong.
We have always said that the best case scenario for Hong Kong is a democratic through train, whereas the worst case scenario is an undemocratic through train. What we fear is that the British side may trade democratic principles for a through train arrangement, SO that many of Mr. Patten's original suggestions would be so watered down that the legislature constituted in 1995 would not be in
be in a position to hold the government accountable to it. We would not accept such an accord. And Mr. Patten would lose his credibility with the people of Hong Kong if he presents such an agreement to For the British government has undertaken to establish democracy in Hong Kong before 1997 to guarantee the promises of "Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong" under "a high degree of autonomy.
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Directly-elected legislators
LEE Chu-ming, Martin and YEUNG Sum
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