Younger Democrats demand new blood
They want better ties with Beijing and members over 60 to quit key positions
A group of young Democratic Party members is calling for new blood in the leadership and an improvement in ties with Beijing, ahead of an internal party forum on Saturday.
The move comes amid waning public support for the main pro-democracy party and fears that its rejection of government proposals for the 2007-08 elections will further strain its ties with the central government.
Andrew Fung Wai-kwong, a member of the party's executive committee, said members over 60 should quit the central and executive committee while lawmakers should not serve more than three terms, starting from 2008.
The party is due to hold a brainstorming session on Saturday to discuss its positioning and strategies for elections in the next three years, including that for Election Committee members in December, next year's chief executive election and the district council elections.
Earlier, Gary Fan Kwok-wai, a member of the party's executive committee and a Sai Kung district councillor, circulated an essay taking party chairman Lee Wing-tat to task for making indiscreet remarks on several political issues last year.
Mr Fung also called for separation between the leadership of the party and the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, which is branded subversive by Beijing, after the election of the party leadership posts in December.
'There should not be a duplication of members of our party's central committee and the standing committee of the alliance,' he said.
'Many professionals are hesitant to join our party because of a perception that the two organisations are inseparable.'
Three members of the Democratic Party's central committee now sit on the standing committee, which calls for an end to one-party dictatorship on the mainland.
Mr Fung said the separation would remove one of the obstacles to a warming of ties between the party and Beijing.
He plans to unite with several party members to submit a joint proposal on revamping the party leadership for discussion at Saturday's brainstorming session.
Mr Fung said the party should spend more effort grooming second-tier members, adding that it should put an end to 'gerontocracy' within the party.
He said ageing party heavyweights such as executive committee member Szeto Wah should leave the party leadership after internal elections in December.
Mr Fung also criticised the party leadership for being inflexible in handling the controversy over political reform and its ties with Beijing.
'The party should not have merely stuck to attainment of universal suffrage in 2012 and dismissed any possibilities for negotiation with the government.'
