The election of the 'mainstream' faction to the Democratic Party leadership has failed to put to rest an internal rift on how the party should run its affairs.
Party lawmaker and veteran Cheung Man-kwong yesterday described ongoing suggestions that the 'mainstream' faction was trying to clamp down on the 'reformist' faction as unacceptable.
'It's unacceptable for some central committee members to come out after meetings and say they oppose decisions made by the committee whenever their views are not adopted,' said Mr Cheung.
Suggestions by the reformists - who believe lawmakers should stay away from the management of the party's internal affairs - that they had been kept out of the party's leadership have emerged since Sunday's election, which saw the mainstream faction secure a convincing win.
'If this situation persists, it will do huge damage to our party,' warned Mr Cheung, a core member of the mainstream faction. 'We can't afford to let this situation continue because we have to face the district council elections next year and the Legco election in 2008,' he said.
Newly elected chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan said he would contact those who lost their seats and members of the reformist faction either this week or next.