Pro-democracy faction divided over mock poll for chief executive
Fundamental differences have emerged within the pro-democracy camp on how to conduct a mock election for chief executive.
Despite a consensus the candidates be chosen by nominations from the public, there were divisions over how the candidates should be named.
The Democratic Party wants a simple, cheap nomination procedure.
But a group of independents prefers a more serious method.
The independents include Emily Lau Wai-hing, Elizabeth Wong Chien Chi-lien and unionists Lee Cheuk-yan and Leung Yiu-chung,.
The bid by the liberals to choose their own chief executive is to challenge the legitimacy of the actual chief executive, who will be chosen by a 400-strong Selection Committee this year.
A Central Committee member of the Democratic Party, Cheung Yiu-tung, said that although a mechanism for choosing the chief executive was needed, the total cost of administration and monitoring would be high.
'Our objective is clear and easy to achieve,' he said. 'If the candidates secure not less than 400 signatures of support - say 150,000, 200,000 - they are more legitimate than the future designate.
'The method of choosing the candidates can be varied. But if it is required to be more serious, matters like education, publicity, political forums and platforms will be involved,' Mr Cheung said.
Party colleague and legislator Lee Wing-tat said the party had a tight budget and could not spend too much.
'We can only expect to mobilise manpower from the district offices to run the campaign,' he said.
The party has formed a five-member working group and expects to work out the details of the programme before the Central Committee meeting next month.
