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HK illno 1186 (20/7193)
НК
074276 MDLIAN 6474
OF THE PWC AS WELL AS HELP HK PEOPLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE WAY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD HANDLE TRANSITIONAL MATTERS.
THROUGH TRAIN
23. VICE DIRECTOR OF THE PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE SIMON LI WAS QUOTED (15.7) AS SAYING THAT MARTIN LEE, SZETO WAH, CHRISTINE LOH AND EMILY LAU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN.
24.
THE PAPERS WIDELY REPORTED (16.7) REACTIONS TO LI'S REMARKS. ALLEN LEE OF THE LIBERAL PARTY SAID THERE SHOULD BE A SET OF OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE 'THROUGH TRAIN'. FRED LI OF MEETING POINT SAID LI'S REMARKS WOULD UNDERMINE PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IN THE PWC.
25.
CHINESE OFFICIALS ALSO DISMISSED LI'S REMARKS AS PERSONAL VIEWS. BOTH NCNA DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG SAID THE QUESTION OF THE THROUGH TRAIN INCLUDING WHETHER A SET OF CRITERIA SHOULD BE LAID DOWN, WOULD HAVE TO BE STUDIED BY THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE AS STIPULATED IN THE NPC RESOLUTION.
26. IN A STREET POLL CONDUCTED BY THE EXPRESS (16.7), 76 OF THE 100 RESPONDENTS DID NOT AGREE SOME LEGISLATORS HAD TO GET OFF THE TRAIN IN 1997. 82 RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WOULD STILL VOTE FOR CANDIDATES WHO HAD BEEN NAMED TO BE REQUIRED TO GET OFF THE TRAIN IN THE 1995 ELECTIONS.
27.
THE GOVERNOR WAS QUOTED AS SAYING AT LEGCO (16.7) HE DID NOT AGREE ONE SHOULD JUDGE WHETHER A LEGISLATOR COULD RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN ON THE BASIS OF HIS PAST OPINIONS. THE GOVERNOR STRESSED THE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN SHOULD BE OBJECTIVE AND JUSTICIABLE. HE BELIEVED THE PRESENT OATH OF ALLEGIANCE SHOULD MEET THE REQUIREMENTS AND SHOULD THEREFORE TRANSCEND THE CHANGE IN SOVEREIGNTY.
AIRPORT
28. THE EXPRESS (17.7) CARRIED A REUTER REPORT WHICH QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THE DEADLOCK OVER THE AIRPORT COULD NOT BE BROKEN UNLESS THE GOVERNOR ABANDONED HIS REFORM PACKAGE.
PLA
29. AN ARTICLE IN THE JULY ISSUE OF THE TREND MAGAZINE SAID THE
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