SOCIALITE Mrs Alice Chiu Tsang Hok-wan is probably more liberal than most of the politicians she will meet today at the first meeting of the preparatory committee aiming to form the Liberal Party out of the conservative Co-operative Resources Centre (CRC).
The financier's wife believes it is right to ask for more directly-elected seats in the 1995 Legislative Council polls, a request Beijing adamantly opposes, and which would likely send most of her fellow members recoiling with horror.
But Mrs Chiu has somewhat lost track of political developments. ''I am not sure exactly how many directly-elected seats there will be in 1995,'' she said, conceding she knew little about Governor Mr Chris Patten's controversial plans for political reform.
Indeed the liberal credentials of the socialite seem to stem more from naivete than conviction. ''My knowledge of politics is, you may say, very elementary.'' she said.
''I don't know much about party politics. I don't have any political ambition either.'' Mrs Chiu also admitted she was confused about the nature of the CRC for a long time.
With a loyalty to the new party - evident from her lavish praise of the group - that seems to far exceed her knowledge of it, all Mrs Chiu appears certain about is that the CRC needs ''a few good friends'' for its bid for the 1995 direct elections, and is willing to help however she can.