Anti-poverty group may survive if members want it to, says head

The secretary of the soon-to-be-disbanded Poverty Commission says it could survive as a 'similar body' if there were strong enough calls from members at their final meeting tomorrow.

Stephen Fisher told the South China Morning Post that members could suggest the form of the new body and who should be chairman.

'The possibility of setting up a similar body really depends on whether most of the members want it. It really depends on whether they will fight for it at our June 1 meeting,' Mr Fisher said.

He said talks with some members in the past week had shown they wanted to keep the commission.

Mr Fisher's remarks were welcomed by commission members and legislators who said they indicated the government had softened its stance and was trying to 'test the water'.

The commission, set up two years ago to seek ways to alleviate poverty, is due to be disbanded at the end of June.

Some members have complained it is being dissolved without setting any firm agenda for action at a time when the gap between rich and poor is growing.