China [but has withdrawn his membership].
4.
Disagreement over the pace of political development has had a divisive effect on business and professional
groupings. The Hong Kong Foundation now seems to have dissolved while the New Hong Kong Alliance (NHKA) suffered a split in its founding membership due to its unpopular proposal for a bicameral legislature. A new alliance, the Liberal Democratic Federation (LDF), has now been formed. It comprises members of the NHKA and the Progressive Hong Kong Society (a major moderate group). The LDF aims to contest the 1991 elections and represents conservative and business opinion. It places highest priority on the economy and safeguarding the interests of the business sector.
5. The third major grouping, the Hong Kong Democratic
Foundation, was inaugurated in the early summer. The
Foundation has a membership of 250 which includes 4 members
of LegCo. 40% of the membership are expatriates. It is
actively preparing for the elections by attempting to
recruit more members by means of contact points in nineteen
districts. It aims to increase its influence at various
levels of the Government and to diversify Hong Kong's political system.
6. The Association for Building a Better Hong Kong was formed in February this year primarily as a think-tank to
solve the problems facing the territory in transition to
1997. It does not intend to field candidates for the 1991
elections.
7. There are also pro-Beijing organisations the most
prominent being the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) with
its 170,000 strong membership. It has announced its
intention to participate in the 1991 elections and will
support candidates of its choice from member unions.
is also the Chinese Reform Association which claims close
links with the mainland.
There
WINADU/2
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