Mixed support from professionals

MORE than half of Hongkong's architects, surveyors and planners would oppose the political reform package if it did not converge with the Basic Law, according to a survey conducted by the constituency's legislator, Mr Edward Ho Sing-tin.

However, the same survey also showed a seemingly contradictory result when, against the awareness of non-convergence, the majority of the professionals showed support for most of the seven items in Governor Mr Chris Patten's package.

Proposals like lowering the voting age, and abolishing appointed seats in the district boards and municipal councils, were supported by over half of the respondents.

On the two most controversial items about future functional constituency elections and the Election Committee, a more or less equal split was recorded.

Mr Ho sent out questionnaires last December to survey all corporate members of the Hongkong Institute of Architects, Hongkong Institute of Surveyors and Hongkong Institute of Planners on their attitudes towards Mr Patten's package.

The questionnaire intended to test the professionals' preference on the assumption that Mr Patten's package and convergence were mutually exclusive.

The survey recorded 55 per cent opposition to Mr Patten's package, on the condition that convergence with the Basic Law could not be achieved.

The same proportion of respondents also opposed the Government proceeding unilaterally and turning the package into law if convergence failed.

A total of 233 questionnaires were returned, representing nine per cent of the 2,572 corporate members of the three institutes.

When asked if they thought Mr Patten's package would converge with the Basic Law, only 28 per cent of the respondents thought it would, while 48 per cent said it would not.

Among the three professions of Mr Ho's constituency, planners showed the most steadfast support for the Governor's proposals.

About 67 per cent of the planners said they would support the package even if it did not converge with the Basic Law.

But both architects and surveyors recorded an opposition of over 50 per cent and 60 per cent respectively on the same question.

While the majority of respondents opposed the package if convergence failed, split opinions were found on individual items of the package.

A total of 49 per cent agreed to the expansion of the nine new functional constituencies to include the entire working population, while 46 per cent rejected the proposal.

Forty-four per cent agreed that the 1995 Election Committee should be drawn from directly elected district boards, with the same number opposing the idea.

Mr Ho admitted the low rate of return might affect the survey's representativeness, but added the results were close to what he expected.

He rejected the idea that he had posted leading questions by polarising the package and convergence in an either/or manner.

''People are given a very fair chance to answer. If they don't agree with the questions, they can say yes or no,'' he said.

''But I do feel it's very important to consider the whole package, especially the area of democratic development.

''Because we do have the Basic Law and the chance of amending the Basic Law is very remote, a smooth transition in the next four years is vital to Hongkong.'' The institutes of the three professional groups all considered Mr Ho's survey a fair one.