Democracy alliance chief urges unity to beat chief executive candidate screening
Camp must work together, says alliance convenor, as Democrats weigh walk-out because of radicals' backing for public nomination in 2017 poll
The convenor of an alliance of pan-democrat lawmakers has urged his camp to unite in opposition to the political screening of candidates for the 2017 chief executive election.
The decision by supporters of Occupy Central to back three electoral reform blueprints that call for public nomination of candidates has split the Alliance for True Democracy.
The Democratic Party is considering leaving the alliance, which comprises all but one of the 27 pan-democratic lawmakers, after two radical groups - People Power and the League of Social Democrats - reneged on a promise to support the alliance's three-track proposal for candidate nominations in a vote by Occupy supporters last Tuesday.
"We will carefully consider all possibilities, including quitting the alliance, reducing our participation, or urging People Power and the League of Social Democrats to quit," Democrats vice-chairman Sin Chung-kai said.
Professor Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, the alliance's convenor, said only unity could give the camp sufficient strength to bargain with Beijing. "Our core struggle is to fight off political screening in the 2017 chief executive election. Only unity can mobilise Hongkongers' support, enabling us to exert pressure on Beijing and the government," said Cheng (pictured).
Some 2,500 supporters of the pro-democracy Occupy movement chose three plans to put to a public vote from June 20 to 22.