Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Wong-fat has quit the Liberal Party amid a row over his backing of a candidate for the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong in the Legislative Council election.
His departure will leave the embattled Liberal Party with only six seats in the new legislature, which opens next month.
Acting party chairwoman Miriam Lau Kin-yee confirmed she had received Mr Lau's resignation letter yesterday afternoon, saying he was leaving because the kuk was constructing a new office building and he wanted to devote more time to the work of the New Territories advisory body.
Mr Lau, a founding member of the Liberal Party, canvassed for kuk vice-chairman and DAB member Cheung Hok-ming in New Territories West in Sunday's election, after winning the Heung Yee Kuk seat uncontested.
Former Liberal lawmaker Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, who failed to win re-election in the same constituency, complained to the party about Mr Lau's canvassing for Mr Cheung after she resigned as party vice-chairwoman in the wake of her defeat. The party then asked Mr Lau for an explanation.
Ms Lau said the kuk chief, without mentioning the election, had said in his letter that he would like to continue co-operation with the Liberal Party.
'I have written back to him, telling him the Liberal Party was very willing to collaborate with the Heung Yee Kuk,' she said, adding that Mr Lau had contributed a lot to the party during his membership.
