bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Ambrose Leung

The Liberal Party leadership is not convinced that a surge in support for the party after its role in getting the National Security Bill withdrawn will boost its success in the November District Council elections.

Opinion polls carried out after the shock resignation of party chairman James Tien Pei-chun from Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's cabinet in July - a key factor in the deferral of the bill - have shown the party has leapfrogged in public support.

A University of Hong Kong poll held earlier this month found the Liberal Party was the second most popular political group after the Confederation of Trade Unions, even more popular than the pro-democracy flagship, the Democratic Party.

But Miriam Lau Kin-yee, vice-chairwoman of the Liberal Party, said popularity ratings might not translate into votes.

'The public support looks good according to the various opinion polls. But we are not counting on that in the elections',  she said.

She said results would depend on a party's record and relationship with the district.

With the nomination period expected to open in just over three weeks, the business-friendly Liberals have yet to decide on their final list of candidates. Some 400 seats are up for grabs in the election, scheduled for November 23.

Last month, Mr Tien revealed that half a dozen independent candidates wanted to run under the Liberal Party banner. But Ms Lau said talks on the idea had been extended because of complications such as the candidates' personal backgrounds, the constituencies they would contest and possible clashes with Liberal candidates.

In the last election in 1999, the Liberals fielded 34 candidates but won only 15 seats. It is understood the party will field about the same number of candidates this year.

Wong Yee-him, the party's Kowloon West regional chairman and executive committee member, said the Liberal banner would not guarantee the newcomers victory. This was because the turnout rate by middle-class voters, the party's key support base, was so low.



Liberal Party is not counting on any wave of new voting support