Party discards voting system
THE newly-formed Liberal Party is to make a major U-turn by discarding the voting system backed by its legislators during a heated debate last summer, it emerged yesterday.
The party is also to throw its weight behind a full ministerial system for government, despite the rejection of a similar move two months ago - for the political appointment of policy secretaries - by its predecessor, the Co-operative Resources Centre (CRC).
The new stance is revealed in the party's yet-to-be-published manifesto. Liberal Party leaders refused to divulge details of the manifesto after a meeting of its preparatory committee yesterday, saying only it would be unveiled on May 17.
But chairman Mr Allen Lee Peng-fei confirmed the manifesto would support the single-seat, single-vote system for the 1995 polls, proposed by Governor Mr Chris Patten and backed by the United Democrats.
The conservative CRC was the main proponent of the rival multi-seat, single-vote system in last July's marathon Legislative Council debate on the 1995 electoral arrangements, which ended in defeat for the group.
Mr Lee denied the Liberal Party's stance represented an about-turn on his previous views.
''It has nothing to do with U-turns. This shows we can accept defeat graciously, and without sour grapes,'' he said. ''The debate is over . . . and we will respect the views of Legco.'' The Liberal Party also announced yesterday Hongkong affairs adviser and former Chief Secretary Sir David Akers-Jones would be one of its three trustees.
Meanwhile, the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL) is to propose to China that a system be set up to implement the restriction on foreign passport holders on the Legislative Council.
An ADPL delegation is leaving for Beijing today for a four-day visit to discuss issues related to political reform and the airport.
