The Liberal Party has reaffirmed its support for electing all members of the legislature by universal suffrage in 2020 after internal debate on whether it should stop contesting direct elections following its humiliation at this month poll.
The view was expressed by party lawmakers to the chief executive when they met him yesterday to give their opinions ahead of his policy address next month.
Donald Tsang Yam-kuen met four Liberals, including acting party chairwoman Miriam Lau Kin-yee, who reiterated the party's stance that the chief executive and all legislators should be elected by universal suffrage in 2017 and 2020 respectively.
Mr Tsang congratulated the lawmakers on their victories in the September 7 election. He did not raise with them the defeat of all the party's candidates for directly elected seats, including James Tien Pei-chun and Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, who reacted by resigning as party chairman and vice-chairwoman.
The party won seven seats, all in functional constituencies. Days later one of the seven, Lau Wong-fat, quit the party amid a row over his support for a candidate standing against Mrs Chow.
In a separate meeting with Mr Tsang, pan-democrat Emily Lau Wai-hing, of The Frontier, demanded the chief executive clarify media reports that his aides had lobbied businessmen to persuade the Liberals to abandon their support for universal suffrage.
