Referendum rebel may be disciplined

MEETING Point legislator Dr Leong Che-hung may be disciplined for diverging from the party line by supporting the call for a referendum on political reform.

The party's central standing committee will meet on Sunday to consider disciplining Dr Leong after he voted for United Democrat Mr Szeto Wah's motion on Wednesday.

Dr Leong, who joined the party last September, said yesterday he had no problem with Meeting Point putting his case to the disciplinary committee because he had his own beliefs.

With the party's proclaimed insistence on the dual objectives of democracy and convergence, he said he would choose democracy if forced to choose between the two. He believed a referendum was a democratic move.

He said he had conducted a referendum among his constituents to gauge opinions on political reform and would be practising double standards if he voted against the motion.

''I have already done a referendum in my constituency. I could not say I could do it but Hongkong couldn't,'' he said.

''One thing is very clear: my joining the legislature has nothing to do with Meeting Point. I was not holding the party's flag when I stood for election.'' He said he shared the party's views on important principles but there were some issues on which he already had his own position as stated when he ran for the medical profession seat in 1991.

Dr Leong said he had made clear to the chairman and leading members of the party when he joined that if the party's views differed from those of the medical field's, he would support the latter.

He said he hoped the party would have supported the motion but he could not influence everyone.

Party chairman Mr Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said there was a general agreement between Meeting Point and Dr Leong from the start that the doctor might have to disagree with the party if his medical constituency considered otherwise.

''As Dr Leong had been elected by the medical constituency before he joined Meeting Point, we have this general agreement,'' he said.

But Mr Cheung admitted there was a certain degree of conflict on the issue between Dr Leong and the party.

''I very much don't want to see this happen,'' he said.

Other Meeting Point legislators were divided on whether Dr Leong should be disciplined.

Legislator Mr Fred Li Wah-ming said the matter should be referred to the discipline committee.

''This is not a health issue. This is a political issue. We need to have a party stance,'' he said.

Another legislator Mr Tik Chi-yuen said he could understand Dr Leong's move.

''I accept his decision,'' he said.