************************************************************
Following is the translation of the"Letter from Hong Kong" by the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Michael Suen, delivered in RTHK this (Saturday)morning:
Dear Kar-man,
Glad to hear that you have submitted your dissertation and have time to read the information on the Internet about the first Legislative Council election of the HKSAR.
You are right. The election to be held on 24 May is of historical importance.
You used to have little interest in politics, but as you will come back to work in Hong Kong soon, you should learn more about the relationship between the Legislative Council election and Hong Kong people. Legislative Council members are the public's mouthpiece. Apart from enacting laws, examining and approving budgets and public expenditure, they also supervise the work of the Government on behalf of the public at large. You said that some of your friends have queried whether the operation of the Hong Kong Government, which is underpinned by an executive-led political system, would be affected by the elected members, who often play the role of an "opposition party". This is a very good and important question which I always think about.
In the short run, colleagues of different ranks in the Government will have to explain important motions and policies to the public and get their support through the legislature. This is bound to happen in a democratic society. An open government should of course be accountable and answerable to councillors and the public. As a public servant, I am prepared to face these challenges.
In the longer term, I think it is extremely important to handle the relationship between the executive authorities and the legislature properly, and this is the most important issue in the debate on implementing universal suffrage. There has all along been different views in the community on the constitutional development of Hong Kong. However, too much emphasis has been given on debating the number of directly elected seats, and whether there should be universal suffrage immediately, while other relevant issues have been neglected. As the number of directly elected seats will be on the increase, and ultimately the whole legislature will be returned by direct elections, this development will bring the relationship between the executive authorities and the legislature to a new phase.
It is clearly provided in Article 68 of the Basic Law that the method for forming the Legislative Council shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the HKSAR and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the election of all the members of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage. All Hong Kong people should strive to achieve this aim resolutely. In order to have the best results, not only do we have to develop democracy in the light of the social situation to cater for the public aspirations, but we also have to take corresponding institutional measures to cope with the development.
The Basic Law has stated clearly the method for forming the first, second and the third term of the Legislative Council. From now until 2004, everyone in Hong Kong should actively participate in all the elections to understand more about the meaning and significance of the elections, so as to get well-prepared for the implementation of the provisions in Annex II of the Basic Law concerning the method for the formation of the Legislative Council and its voting procedures after 2007.
You said that you often heard your foreign friends criticizing that the pace of democracy in Hong Kong is slow, and that the electoral systems are unfair. If they have a chance to listen to my explanation above, they may have different views. In fact, every country or city has to choose a suitable electoral system in accordance with their historical, social and cultural situation. The history of Legislative Council election in Hong Kong is actually much younger than you. It was not until 1985 that some of the seats were returned by indirect elections. In 1991, we started to have some directly elected seats. But it was only in 1995 that all the seats were returned by direct or indirect elections.
I remember that two years ago, when we went to Holland with mummy to buy flowers, we passed France and took the chance to taste the red wine there. You asked me why the brewing of good wine took so long. I remember I said that it was the secret of nature, and there was no way to expedite it by artificial or other means. The fragrance of the wine would come out slowly with time. In fact, it is also enlightening to extend this to the democratic development in Hong Kong.
The Government is duty-bound to promote voter registration, prepare for the election, and appeal to the voters to vote. We keep reviewing the situation and make improvements, with a view to enhancing Hong Kong people's participation in public affairs. Our goal is long-term, as there are more elections to come in the next few years. The first Legislative Council election to be held on 24 May is only the first step. Next year, we will have elections for the district organizations; in 2000, the second Legislative Council election; in 2002, the second election for the selection of the Chief Executive; and in 2004, the third Legislative Council election. We must make good use of these years to enhance public awareness of community affairs, to help them acquire experience in elections, and let them have a better understanding of the political system, thereby enabling them to participate in the discussion of the future constitutional development of the HKSAR in a mature and prudent manner.
You asked me whether the electoral system this time was really so complicated that electors would shrink away. In fact, for the majority of electors, the main difference between this election and the past elections is that the electors have to choose a list of candidates, but not an individual candidate. The seats are allocated in proportion to the number of votes obtained by the lists. That is to say, "more votes, more seats". When casting their votes, electors only need to mark a tick in the circle next to the list of their choice. The whole process only takes a few minutes. There should not be any difficulty at all.
There is only one week to go before the polling day. All the candidates are vigorously preparing for the election, and my colleagues responsible for preparing the election are working round the clock. All of us have a common goal, that is, to have a fair, open and honest election. We also hope that more voters will participate in this historic event.
The history of the HKSAR is created by Hong Kong people. We need their active participation and support to realize the concept of "Hong Kong people running Hong Kong". For an elector, casting a vote will only take a few minutes, but this has a profound meaning. Electors should not give up their voting rights lightly.
If you want to know more about the Legislative Council election and the up-to-date position of the election, you may continue to "surf" on the Internet. If you want to "listen to" this letter again, you may also find it on the RTHK homepage.
It is a pity that you cannot come back to Hong Kong to cast your vote on 24 May. But you must promise me that you will actively participate in all the coming elections.
Daddy
End/Saturday, May 16, 1998
NNNN