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Linda Choy

THE Legislative Council early this morning approved the first part of Governor Chris Patten's proposals for electoral reform, changing only the title of the bill but fending off two attempts to block it.

  The final vote was taken at 1.20 am, at the end of more than nine hours of debate and a marathon session of voting forced by the council's complicated Standing Orders.

  Councillors overwhelmingly approved, with only a few dissenting voices, granting Hong Kong's 18-year-olds the vote, adopt the single-seat, single-vote system for all elections, put to an end to the system of appointing members in district boards and municipal councils and allow local members of the Chinese National People's Congress to stand for election here.

  There was a 100 per cent attendance by councillors for what was deemed to be the legislature's toughest session, given China's strident opposition to the Patten proposals and warnings that anything that was decided would be scrapped in 1997 anyway.

  Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang said she was pleased with the result.

  Mrs Chan said she hoped China would accept the system which has been decided by a legislature capable of making a judgment for the vast majority of Hong Kong people.

  ''I hope China will appreciate we have the wider interests of Hong Kong at heart, and we will do our very best to seek co-operation with China,'' she said.

  The first attempt to block the bill was launched by veteran legislator and Patten adversary, Elsie Tu, but she was defeated 36 to 23 after three hours of debate.

  Mrs Tu was supported by the 15 Liberal Party members and seven pro-China legislators and independents.

  Later in the evening, the Liberal Party tried again to stall the more controversial part of the election law - the single-seat, single-vote system for the 1995 election of the legislature - but was defeated after another three hours of debate.

  The amendment tabled by party chief Allen Lee Peng-fei was rejected 35-15.

  Independent legislator Eric Li Ka-cheung, who sought to restore the appointment seats to the district boards and the municipal councils, was apposed by 41 members.

  Only eight legislators voted for Mr Li's motion, most of his supporters being independents.

  Mrs Tu warned Hong Kong people would be victimised if China and Britain failed to co-operate.

  She said: ''Let me make clear at the outset that I believe in democracy if that means finding ways to improve the livelihood of the people. But I do not believe in a political power struggle that leads the community into a state of fear and anxiety aboutthe future.''   Disappointed with the fact that there would be no further talks because the reforms had gone through, Mrs Tu said: ''If I were asked to be an adviser [to China], I would feel this time I must do it.''   Standing Orders required 12 rounds of voting on the amendments before a final decision could be reached.

  The original proposals got through with only the slight adjustment to the title suggested by independent legislator Andrew Wong Wang-fat.

  The voting, which will fuel the Chinese anger, came only 10 hours before Mr Patten is to start another dispute by publishing the British version of what went on during the 17 rounds of talks about political reforms.

  The Governor will explain to Legco at the question time session beginning at 2.30 pm why he had decided to go ahead with publishing a White Paper.

  A total of 100,000 copies of the White Paper, 70,000 in Chinese and 30,000 in English, will be released at 5 pm and will be available to the public tomorrow morning.

  While the liberals urged the Government to table the remaining part of the electoral bill as soon as possible, the conservatives made a last-ditch effort last night to stop the legislative process.

  Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Nicholas Ng Wing-fui said at the end of the debate on Mrs Tu's motion that the Government was now left with no alternative but to proceed with the bill.

  ''We have now come to the point where we simply have no other alternative but to get on with the legislative process,'' he said.

  ''The Chinese side has made it known on numerous occasions that there would be no more talks unless we first withdrew the current bill.''   ''Surely, this is a demand which neither the community nor this council will find acceptable.''   Mr Ng said the bill was needed for the orderly preparation of elections in 1994/95.

          Mrs Tu argued that smooth transition would be impossible when the bill was passed as China had already made clear they would overturn the whole political system after 1997.

  She accused the British Government of not putting Hong Kong interests first and foremost in its sudden shift of stance after the arrival of Mr Patten in 1992.

  She said Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd had said in 1990 that those who suggested that whatever the British did, China would be obliged to accept in 1997, were out of touch with reality.

  ''Let Mr Hurd's own words judge whether or not he himself, and the Government he represents, are now out of touch with reality,'' she said.

  ''I believe in democracy if that means finding ways to improve the livelihood of the people. But I do not believe in a political power struggle that leads the community into a state of fear and anxiety about the future.''   Liberal Party chairman Allen Lee echoed Mrs Tu's words. He said the British Government had changed its Hong Kong policy and he urged both China and Britain not to sway from their responsibility to bring about smooth transition in 1997.

  He said further deferral of the bill would give a last chance for the resumption of talks.

  But independent legislator Christine Loh Kung-wai said the proposals carried in the bill were very moderate.

  If such proposals were to be rejected, it meant that Hong Kong would only capitulate to China's wishes, she said.



Yes for Reforms