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Co-founder quits Democratic Party

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Academic is disillusioned and wants to focus on think-tank

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A former vice-chairman of the Democratic Party has quit the pro-democracy flagship he co-founded 10 years ago, dealing another blow to the troubled party.

Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, a professor in City University's department of public and social administration, revealed yesterday that he had sent a letter stating his decision to quit the Democratic Party to its headquarters on Sunday.

Professor Cheung, who is on a trip to Australia, said he wanted to focus on the works of SynergyNet, a policy think-tank he founded in 2002.

A Democratic Party member close to Professor Cheung said the political scientist had become disillusioned with the party line and felt he could no longer make a difference from within the party. The professor chaired the Meeting Point, which merged with the United Democrats in 1994 to form the Democratic Party.

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'His withdrawal may prompt some ex-Meeting Point members and party members who are also academics to follow suit, or fade out from the party,' the party member warned.

The Democratic Party became the third-largest party in Legco by retaining only nine seats in last month's election, down from 11 seats in the 2000 poll. The party faces a string of problems such as a drop in voter support, an ageing leadership and how to position itself.

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