‘No Democratic Party members apply to run for Legco’

The Democratic Party said its internal Monday evening deadline for members to submit applications to run for December’s Legislative Council elections had passed without any member indicating their intention to stand in the polls.

Last month, the party stopped short of deciding whether to field candidates, saying it was not necessary to take a vote on the issue at a members’ meeting as no one from the party had expressed a desire to run in the elections.

But it said any member who was interested in joining the Legco race must notify its central committee. To pass the internal vetting mechanism, potential candidates would need to secure 40 nominations from the party, as well as the backing of their fellow party members at a subsequent members’ meeting.

Democratic Party chairman Lo Kin-hei has brushed aside suggestions the party is trying to prevent its members from joining the polls by setting a high threshold, saying the arrangement is aimed at unifying the party.