UNITED Democrats chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming yesterday warned that if Governor Chris Patten back-pedalled on the democratisation plan for Hongkong, he would make himself ''a laughing stock''.
Mr Lee was speaking only hours before Mr Patten left for London for a summit meeting with Prime Minister John Major to reassess Britain's position on the ongoing talks over the 1994/95 electoral arrangements.
''The Governor has made a promise to us [on the reform plan] and if he back-pedals now, he will make himself a laughing stock and pose a grave challenge to his own governing authority,'' the leader of the liberal flagship said.
''At this rate [of the negotiations], I don't think we will be able to read the bill by the end of this session, or even before October,'' he said.
The United Democrats called on the Government to introduce the bill to the Legislative Council right after the summit meeting which is to be attended by senior cabinet members.
But they sidestepped a question on whether their request conflicted with local opinion polls which showed Hongkong people wanted the talks to continue. Instead, they reiterated that the introduction of the bill would not create an obstacle for the talks.
''Hongkong people want both democracy and the talks to continue, and the two things together means they want to get a democratic system through the talks,'' Mr Lee said.