THE territory's leading liberal party has for the first time since its inception in 1990 written to the local branch of the New China News Agency asking for a meeting with director Mr Zhou Nan.
The United Democrats of Hongkong's letter, dated last Saturday, said the party hoped to discuss with Mr Zhou the arrangements for the 1994/95 elections and matters concerning the transition.
Many leaders of the party, including chairman Mr Martin Lee Chu-ming and Mr Szeto Wah, who are also members of the Hongkong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China, are branded as subversive by China.
Mr Lee said the Democrats made the move because the coming elections were important to Hongkong and, as a party with members elected to the three tiers of representative government, it hoped it could meet Mr Zhou to convey the public's views to him.
He hoped the meeting could be held before the Sino-British talks, which start on Thursday.