Despite the lingering uncertainty about the future of party politics in Hong Kong, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong has been unambiguous about its goal of becoming the city's ruling party.
Flying the banner of a 'party with a future', the DAB has accelerated the pace of grooming young talent in recent years in preparation for universal suffrage.
The recently named new batch of deputy policy spokespeople, mostly in their thirties, have higher academic qualifications and a stronger professional background.
Former executive councillor Tim Chung Shui-ming, an expert on land and housing issues, has become the party's secretary general.
The DAB's status as the government's closest political ally in the Legislative Council also manifested itself at the party's annual retreat at the weekend. Key guest speakers included Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen, Exco member Lawrence Lau Juen-yee, Anthony Wu Ting-yuk, who is head of the Hospital Authority and the Bauhinia Foundation think-tank, and former legislator Albert Cheng King-hon.
Previous guest speakers have included National People's Congress Standing Committee deputy secretary general Qiao Xiaoyang and director of the Chief Executive's Office Norman Chan Tak-lam.
