Neo Democrats

Neo Democrats 新民主同盟
Founded	2 October 2010
Ideology	Liberal democracy
National affiliation	Pro-democracy camp
Official colours	Orange
Legislative Council	0 / 60
District Councils	8 / 534

The Neo Democrats (Chinese: 新民主同盟) are a pro-democracy political grouping in Hong Kong, composed mainly of former and disenchanted members of the Democratic Party.

Members are considered as the Young Turks faction and reformists in the Democratic Party, and mostly from the New Territories East constituency. They support a more radically pro-democratic position than that of the Democratic Party.

The group describes itself as a 'social movement' and 'not a political party'. However it expects to field candidates in upcoming district council elections, when it will cooperate with other parties in the democratic camp to avoid having more than one pan-democrat in each contest, though it says it will not be part of a Democratic Party slate in the 2012 Legco elections.^[1]

Formation

The Neo Democrats identified themselves initially as a grouping within the Democratic Party, opposed to its rejection of the Five Constituencies Referendum and concessions towards Beijing that the party was offering in the run-up to the Legco vote on the Hong Kong government's proposals for democratic reform. It said it aimed to repair the damaged relationship between the Democratic Party and its pan-democratic allies.^[2]

Then on 20 December 2010, thirty members including seven district councilors in the New Territories East resigned from the Democratic Party to formally create the new group. The departees included former party vice chairman Chan King-ming and at least five other founding members, together representing around ten percent of the DP's district councilors and just under five percent of its membership.^[1]

Some Neo Democrats are still Democratic Party members.

Organisation and membership

Members of the grouping include Sai Kung district councillors Gary Fan, Leung Li and Cheung Kwok-keung,^[3] former DP vice chairman Chan King-ming,

The Neo Democrats' leadership comprises four 'convenors', who take individual charge for rotating six-month terms. Convenors currently include Gary Fan.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Democrats lick wounds as 30 reform radicals quit, The Standard, Colleen Lee, 20 December 2010
2. ^ Press review by Swiss Consulate General, Oct 2010, accessed 24 Jan 2011
3. ^ Sai Kung District Council Members (2008 - 2011)
4. ^ Neo Democrats set out their store, RTHK, 23 Jan 2011, Accessed 23 Jan 2011

External links

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