- Title: HONG KONG: HONG KONG PREPARES FOR FIRST FULLY-ELECTED LEGISLATURE
- Date: 12th September 1995
- Summary: HONG KONG (SEPTEMBER 12-14, 1995) (SEPTEMBER 13, 1995) 1. SV/LV EXT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUILDING (3 SHOTS) 0.15 2. SV/CU BANNER ON BUILDING READING "SUPPORT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS 19.7.95" (2 SHOTS) 0.25 3. SV CANVASSING IN A BUSY STREET (2 SHOTS) 0.33 (SEPTEMBER 12, 1995) 4. SV/SCU HONG KONG GOVERNOR CHRIS PATTEN AT BALLOT BOX PREPARATIONS / TALKING TO THE ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER (2 SHOTS) 0.39 5. SV PATTEN SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 0.45 6. SV CIVIL SERVANTS PREPARING THE BALLOT BOXES (2 SHOTS) 0.51 7. SV TSANG YOK-SING, LEADER OF THE LARGEST PRO-BEIJING PARTY IN HONG KONG, CANVASSING IN A GRASS-ROOT HOUSING ESTATE (3 SHOTS) 1.00 8. SCU TSANG YOK-SING SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 1.12 9. SV EMILY LAU, AN INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATOR, UNDERTAKING HOME VISITS DURING HER CAMPAIGN 1.17 10.SCU EMILY LAU SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 1.26 11.SV EMILY AND CAMPAIGN TEAM CALLING ON HOMES OF VOTERS / EMILY SAYING "PLEASE VOTE FOR ME ON SUNDAY." (CANTONESE) 1.35 12.SCU CHAN HOP-YAN, A VOTER, SAYING "WE WON'T TURN OUT TO VOTE AFTER 1997 BECAUSE IT'S USELESS TO VOTE FOR THOSE APPOINTED (BY BEIJING), BY THAT TIME, WE WON'T GO TO VOTE AGAIN." (CANTONESE) 1.45 13.SV/SLV MARTIN LEE GIVING OUT PAMPHLETS (3 SHOTS) 1.53 14.SCU MARTIN LEE SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 2.01 15.LV EXT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUILDING 2.09 16.SV FLAG OF HONG KONG FLYING 2.12 SEQUENCE 5 TRANSCRIPT: PATTEN: "I HOPE THAT THREATS OF DISMANTLING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CAN BE PUT ON ONE SIDE." SEQUENCE 8 TRANSCRIPT: YOK-SING: "THERE ARE NO GROUNDS AT ALL FOR SUCH WORRIES, WE'LL HAVE MORE AND MORE DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED LEGISLATURE AFTER 1997." SEQUENCE 10 TRANSCRIPT: LAU: "YOU CAN'T PRETEND THAT EVERYTHING WILL GO ON AS USUAL IF YOU DISMANTLE THE LEGISLATURE AND THEN REPLACE IT WITH A BUNCH OF YES-MEN AND YES-WOMEN APPOINTED BY PEKING." SEQUENCE 14 TRANSCRIPT: LEE: "THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD SPEAK UP THROUGH THE BALLOT BOX AND TELL CHINA IN VERY CERTAIN TERMS WHAT THEY WANT." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 27th September 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HONG KONG
- City:
- Country: Hong Kong
- Reuters ID: LVA4ICMN7X7SG8QXW6EQ5NTHTVPC
- Story Text: The people of Hong Kong were preparing on Friday (September 15) for the creation of a fully-elected legislature on Sunday (September 17), the first time in the 154 years of colonial history.
The British governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten has pushed through a democratic reform bill to sweep away the appointment system to the Legislative Council and expand the electorate.
But China has vowed to dismantle the 60-seat Legislative Council when it regains power over the colony in 1997.
Next year, China will estalish a Preparatory Committee to prepare for the handover of power.
Among the committee's most significant roles will be the selection of Hong Kong's future Chief Executive to replace the Btritish Governor amd the establishment of a provisional legislature to replace the council to be elected on Sunday.
On Tuesday (September 12) Patten said "I hope that the threats of dismantling the Legislative Council will be put on one side." Many people in Hong Kong are concerned that China will strip popular candidates, particularly those from the pro-democracy camp, of their seats and replace them with pro-Beijing candidates not intending to represent popular interests.
"There are no grounds at all for such worries, we'll have more and more democratically elected legislatures after 1997." said Tsang Yok-sing, leader of the largest pro-Beijing party in Hong Kong.
Emily Lau, an independent member of the last Legislative Council whom pollsters tip to retain her seat, holds a different point of view. "You can't pretend that everthing will go on as usual if you dismantle the legislature and then replace it with a bunch of yes-men and yes-women", she said.
Voter Chan-Hop-yan told Reuters he has decided not to vote after 1997. "it's useless to vote for those appointed (by Beijing)." he said during Emily Lau's campaigning visit to his home.
For the first fully-elected legislature but probably the last, Martin Lee, the best-known leader of the pro-democracy camp, urged people to vote in Sunday's election. "The people of Hong Kong should speak out through the ballot box", he said.
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