This came after a general meeting this afternoon failed to decide whether the party will send anyone to run in the election, as the number of members preferring to join the election turned out to be more than just a handful.

Therefore, the meeting -- with the initial purpose to decide on the party’s involvement in the election -- ended up passing the task to the central committee, which will set up the selection system for aspiring members to apply to run in the election.

Lo said if the party receives applications, it will call for general meetings and arrange for the possible candidates to be questioned by party members before deciding if they can run in election, adding such meeting will not be held if no one applies to become a candidate.

Former lawmaker and one of the founding members of the party Fred Li Wah-ming, who had said that he preferred the party to join the election but most of the other members held an opposite opinion, said after the meeting that it turned out more people shared the same view with him.