DIFFICULT decisions will have to be made if Sino-British talks on constitutional reform are not to drag on, the Governor, Chris Patten, said yesterday.
Legislators were concerned that a two-week break before the fifth round of talks opened might hold up reforms.
They feared laws to change the electoral system before polling in 1994 and 1995 would not be in place when the Legislative Council session ends on July 21.
Speaking after a walkabout in Tsuen Wan, Mr Patten said: ''Time isn't infinite and we do have administrative imperatives. We owe it to the community to get the arrangements in place as soon as we reasonably can.
''If we go on for a very long time and don't appear to be making any progress, then I think the community will expect me to govern and to govern means taking decisions even when they are difficult.'' He declined, however, to set a deadline for the talks to end so the bills governing arrangements for the 1994 District Board and 1995 Legislative Council elections can go to legislators before they break up for the summer.
''If I was to ring dates on the calendar and set deadlines I don't think it would be conducive to the good atmosphere of the talks,'' he said.