IN the face of the upcoming introduction of the Governor's political reform package to the Legislative Council, I would like to put several points to the legislators and to Mr Patten, which we, the Hongkong people, consider vital for our well-being, beforethey put their final touches to the package. To the legislators: Please bear in mind that you are supposed to represent the views of the Hongkong people, be they professionals, specialists or citizens in your constituencies. What we desire most of all is a decent livelihood, inevitably guaranteed by a progressing economy. We want democracy, but not at the expense of our delicate economy. Amendments should be made to the package that are acceptable to both the British and Chinese governments. Bargaining for more directly elected seats is not the sole means of gaining a political edge. It will be mutually beneficial to the legislators' political careers and the local populace, if the legislators can dissolve the present Sino-British political impasse and restore the confidence of the local people. Mr Patten's no-compromise attitude towards his brainchild has earned him the reputation of being Hongkong's toughest-ever Governor and also brings new hope for the liberal camp. But the damage to Hongkong brought about by being antagonistic towards the communist leaders was only too clearly demonstrated by the week-long plunge of over 1,000 points of the Hang Seng Index. Unfortunately, the eventual interpretative power is in the hands of the National People's Congress. Consequently, more harm than good will be done to Hongkong by protracted confrontation with China. Meanwhile, though the presence of appointed councillors in the District Board and the Regional and Urban councils seems undemocratic, there can be no denying that they have their unique functions in the municipal boards, especially when it comes to financial support to community projects. Therefore, it is not time for us to scrap appointed seats, not until enough funding is provided by the Government to finance those social projects. Mr Patten's mission as Governor is to lead us to a prosperous and stable future for at least 50 years after 1997. Please do not enhance your reputation back in the UK by putting the livelihood of six million people in the colony at risk. KANRIS LAM TSZ-YIN New Territories
