Anxious members of the Civic Association, one of the territory's oldest political and social groups, spoke frankly to the Preparatory Committee's Tam Yiu-chung at the end of a meeting earlier this month - how could they get a seat on the Selection Committee? The group, which is often linked with first-generation politicians including Hilton Cheong Leen and Cecelia Yeung Lai-yin, is in a quandary about how it is viewed. As a political group, social club or fraternity association? Its fears of being left in the cold in the scramble for the 400 seats in the powerful selection body are not unfounded.
According to a set of criteria for membership endorsed at a plenum in Beijing yesterday, political parties and organisations will not be considered as groups which can nominate people to sit on the Selection Committee.
Like many in the community, they will have to make up their mind on the channel through which they can participate in the 400-member body.
Under the rules laid down by the Preparatory Committee, all candidates for the Selection Committee will have to be nominated by groups registered before January 26 - the date the Preparatory Committee was inaugurated. Only the 20-odd local deputies of the Chinese National People's Congress will automatically have a seat as stipulated under the Basic Law.
The irony, however, is that the candidates will take part in their personal capacity and do not represent the relevant groups in the selection process.
The contradictions reflect the conflicting needs in the work of the Selection Committee.
Given the task to choose the first Chief Executive under the Basic Law, the Selection Committee has become even more powerful. It will decide who will sit on the provisional legislature - a by-product of the derailment of the Legco through-train.