Hong Kong’s Civic Party and ADPL face reshuffles as younger faces look at poll bids
Parties look to new generation to lead campaigns for Legislative Council ‘super seats’ in September
Two of the city’s pan-democratic political parties are facing a reshuffle after Civic Party lawmaker Dr Kenneth Chan Ka-lok decided not to seek re-election to the legislature and the moderate Association for Democracy and People’s Livelihood adopts a sterner face under a new chairwoman.
The two parties have also seen their young members showing interest in launching a campaign for one of the Legislative Council’s “super seats” in elections this September.
Chan, who won his seat in the Hong Kong Island constituency in 2012, did not submit a bid to the Civic Party before its internal deadline yesterday for nominations for the Legco election.
READ MORE: Hong Kong political party faces battle to retain ‘super seat’ in Legco after incumbent lawmaker’s poll defeat
“The Island constituency has one seat fewer compared to 2012,” Chan, a university professor in international relations, said. “To be fair, I’d let Tanya come back. I will be happy to canvass for colleagues or run in second place if they need me,” he added, referring to Tanya Chan, the former legislator who lost her seat in 2012.
The two Chans formed the candidate list for the Civic Party in its bid for Hong Kong Island in 2012, but Tanya Chan was unable to gain enough votes to win.
Kenneth Chan’s defeat in the district council elections in November means he is unable to compete for a Legco “super seat”, since candidates must be a district councillor.
Party secretary general Bill Lay Yan-piau said the number of nominations for an election run would be announced after a meeting last night. Some young party members who came out winners in the district council polls have expressed interest in running for the super seat, he added.