Liberal Party chairman Allen Lee Peng-fei yesterday promised more party heavyweights would join the direct elections in the second Legislative Council polls in 2000.
Mr Lee is the only core leader of the party standing in the geographical polls in May, contesting a seat in New Territories East.
Of the 24 party candidates announced yesterday, most party heavyweights, including vice-chairman Ronald Arculli and Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, chose to stand in the functional constituencies.
Mr Lee said the party would begin preparing for the 2000 election, which will have 24 directly elected seats, immediately after the May poll.
'We will not ask members who are almost sure to win in their functional constituencies to go to direct elections and give away their seats to others.
'But we would definitely send out more well-known party members to the geographical constituencies in 2000,' Mr Lee said.
The 12 geographical constituency candidates are mostly not well known, apart from Mr Lee and Provisional Urban Councillor Ada Wong Ying-kay, who rejoined the party recently.
