Interview: Being communicative, considerate is important for political figures

"Hong Kong's political figures should be more mature politically in the future," said Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, president of the second term of the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Consultation is important in the political development in Hong Kong, she said, defining the excellent political figures as those who are adept at communicating with different kinds of view holders, and able to take into account others' problems and worries.

Only by this way, would the win-win situation be achieved, she said, adding that the struggle for meeting one's own desires in disregard of others', more often than not, would end in failure.

Making rulings and keeping order in the legislature all the years, in Fan's words, is not easy. "But I stick to the practice of observing the rules" instead of her own likes and dislikes.

Fan noted that in the seven years since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the legislative work in Hong Kong, which she had chaired for seven years as president of the Provisional Legislative Council as well as the first and second term of the LegCo, had embodied the principle of "One Country, Two Systems," "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy.

According to the Basic Law, legislature of the Hong Kong SAR has the right to legislate on its internal affairs. According to the statistics from the LegCo, the legislature has, since July 1, 1997, passed 347 bills, 1,768 pieces of subsidiary legislation,

Speaking on the coming election of the third Legislative Council which falls on Sept. 12, Fan noted that the geographical seats of the legislature, elected directly by the registered constituency, would grow from the present 24 to 30, with Fan herself running for such a seat on Hong Kong island.

"The more challenging the job I haven't experienced before, the more attractive to me," she said with a grin.

Another 30 legislators of the upcoming LegCo would be selected from different professions, out of the consideration of balanced representation of different circles of society in the LegCo, she added.

Born in Shanghai in China's mainland in September 1945, Fan moved to Hong Kong at the age of four with her family members.

In Hong Kong, which boasts less natural resources than other areas and where residents had more pressure to bear in their life, "you had to work harder than others, otherwise, your turn will never come," Rita Fan said.

Source: Xinhua