After a 13-year stint in the Legislative Council, Eric Li Ka-cheung announced last week that he would not seek re-election in September.
Although it was unexpected, the imminent departure of Mr Li - the representative of the accounting sector and head of the Breakfast Group in Legco - has not caused a stir in society.
As the election draws nearer, many people see it as only natural that incumbents will contemplate their future, and prospective candidates will begin to eye a place in the legislature.
Mr Li's decision is unlikely to alter the configuration of power in the next legislature, given the Breakfast Group's loose set up. Even so, the move has provided some food for thought on the political development of Hong Kong as it reaches its juncture of change.
Speaking on an RTHK programme on Saturday, Mr Li lamented the increasingly limited room that non-affiliated Legco members have for manoeuvre. 'It will only be meaningful to go into politics if you can influence society or the government,' he said. The growth of party politics, he said, has limited the room for bargaining and rational discussion.
Mr Li cautioned that the Breakfast Group would be marginalised and its role diluted if it failed to make changes to cope with the political development of the city. Convened in 1985, the group now functions mainly as a forum for about 10 legislators with no party background to discuss issues and seek a common voting strategy.
With no single political party holding a majority in Legco, non-affiliated members can often tilt the balance in votes on contentious issues.
