SEJELI MBAJËMMENİMİZA
16-02-1993
15:26 HKGO LONDON 071 495 5033
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62) DC
Transcript of an interview with the Chief Secretary, Sir David Ford, by BBC's "World Tonight" on Saturday, February 13, 1993.
0:
Sir David, is Chris Patten going to stick to his guns, bearing in mind all the opposition that's been whipped up to his reform proposals? Is he going to stay firm and push them through?
A:
Well, we've had now several months of discussion of our proposals and various other ideas have come forward. But, we believe that the proposals which Mr Patten put forward in October do represent a very good balance in the community between those who are looking for greater say in the way in which Hong Kong is governed on the one hand but who don't wish to go against the Basic Law on the other. We believe that it is still a good balance, the final decision is still with the Exco. But I am pretty confident that we will endorse those proposals and introduce them in the Legco.
Q:
A:
So no suggestions that they might get watered down.
Well, that is in the final analysis a matter for the Exco to decide what happens to those proposals, and of course the Legco themselves will make a further decision on whether they wish to amend them or not.
0: Do you think that the reforms could be held up inside the Legco by delaying tactics from those opposed to them?
A:
Well, that is possible constitutionally because of course the members could pass resolution asking that the Bill be postponed. But that would carry with it grave risk and I think the members of the Legco are well aware of these risks. We do have to have put in place before too long arrangements so that we can run the elections in 1994 and 1995, the DB elections in 1994 and the municipal council and Legco in 1995. And if we fail to do so, then we would not be in a position to hold those elections. I think that it would be pretty irresponsible of members of Legco to hold them up to the point · whereby these elections were obviously delayed.
Q:
Were you and Chris Patten surprised by the extent of the opposition to the reform proposals, especially as over the years people have been calling on the British Government to introduce more democracy in Hong Kong?
A:
Well, firstly of course locally they were very well received and indeed throughout the whole community for the first two to three weeks after Mr Patten made his speech. There was a very warm welcome for them. It was only after the Chinese Government started to attack them with considerable vehemence that some members of the community started to have second thoughts.. But I think we also have been encouraged that the polle suggested waw consistently that orez the community as a whole there is still 2:1 in favour of those proposals despite the fact that there has been this very strong attack from the Chinese Government.
Q: But, yes among the people perhaps there is support for them but certainly among the business community there is concern that China
HKCB 301/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
29 MAR 1993
DESK OFFICER.
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
11204). N. 4. Band.
25.
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