TNAG-2726-FCO40-3932-Hong-Kong-opinion-polls-on-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 36

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p.a. Opinion Polls

141565 MOLIAN 2636

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1594

OF 111103Z OCTOBER 1993

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

OUR TELNO: 1582

TOP CO O BEST?

MY ADDRESS TO LEGCO: PUBLIC REACTION.

611/12

REC

"Y

IND

IN TUR, I REPORTED ON THE IMMEDIATE PUBLIC REACTION TO MY 6 OCTOBER LEGCO ADDRESS. WE HAVE NOW SEEN 4 MORE OPINION POLLS. THE RESULTS CONFIRM OUR INITIAL ASSESSMENT THAT MY SPEECH HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED AND THAT SUPPORT FOR MY PROPOSALS ON THE 1994-95 ELECTIONS HAS HELD UP WELL.

ON 9 OCTOBER, THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST PUBLISHED THE RESULTS OF A POLL CONDUCTED BY HONG KONG UNIVERSITY'S SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH CENTRE. THE SAMPLE SIZE WAS 605 AND THE RESULTS WERE AS

FOLLOWS:

(I) 79 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS AGREED WITH THE PROPOSITION THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY. 6 PERCENT SAID THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY, 3 PERCENT SAID THEY WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE IT TO OTHERS AND 12 PERCENT WERE UNSURE;

(II) 52 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WERE PERSONALLY PREPARED TO STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY (SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER THAN THE NUMBER GIVING A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO THE MORE ABSTRACT QUESTION AT (I)). 17 PERCENT FELT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY BECAUSE THE PRESENT SITUATION WAS FINE; 16 PERCENT ANSWERED QUOTE NO, LET OTHERS DO IT UNQUOTE; AND 14 PERCENT WERE UNSURE;

(III) 58 PERCENT AGREED THAT QUOTE WE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO STAND UP FOR HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE UNQUOTE; 23 PERCENT DISAGREED AND 19 PERCENT WERE UNSURE;

(IV) 43 PERCENT SUPPORTED THE PROPOSITION THAT I SHOULD PRESS ON WITH MY CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IF THERE IS NO AGREEMENT WITH CHINA; 26 PERCENT DID NOT; AND 30 PERCENT WERE UNSURE; AND

(V) 51 PERCENT AGREED THAT LEGCO SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO AMEND WHATEVER PROPOSALS AR PUT TO THEM; 24 PERCENT DISAGREED; AND 24

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