Two leading members of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) have quit the party because of the upcoming elections.
Stephen Yam Chi-ming, a member of the party's central committee, tendered his resignation after failing to win colleagues' approval for his bid for a seat allocated to the Election Committee.
Another member, banker Fung Chi-kin, quit so that he could run for the Financial Services functional seat as a non-affiliated candidate.
Mr Fung told the party it was inappropriate for him to contest the seat with a party background.
In 1995, he was defeated by the Democratic Party's Andrew Cheng Kar-foo in the Financing, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services functional seat. This time, he will be running against incumbent Chim Pui-chung and possibly Henry Wu King-cheong, a member of the Hong Kong Progressive Alliance.
'It is necessary for him to put his constituents' interest at top priority and this might clash with the DAB's grassroots' identity,' said party secretary-general Ma Lik.
