People Power feels 'Mad Dog' Wong Yuk-man's bite
Maverick announces political group is joining him in quitting radical movement as he stands firm on 'one man, one vote' rule of democracy
The extent of the rift within the radical People Power association emerged yesterday as lawmaker Wong Yuk-man, who quit the group on Monday, revealed that affiliate group the Proletariat Political Institute will go independent with him.
Wong, nicknamed "Mad Dog", said plans by People Power to persuade him to change his mind were useless after the group did the "unacceptable" and deviated from its founding manifesto on direct democracy.
The maverick lawmaker pledged to focus on strengthening the Proletariat Political Institute, which he founded, adding he would not be forming any new political alliances.
Christopher Lau Gar-hung, chairman of People Power, said the news was a blow to the city's radical pro-democracy movement. The Proletariat Political Institute was one of three groups within the umbrella organisation, which was founded in 2011. The two remaining groups are Power Voters and The Frontier.
Wong told the the group was divided over universal suffrage, with some members supporting a nominating committee - as written into the Basic Law - for candidates hoping to stand in the 2017 chief executive poll. He remains fiercely opposed to this.
In our manifesto, it is in black and white - the people's right to draft our own constitution, with no screening mechanism
"In our manifesto, it is in black and white - the people's right to draft our own constitution, with no screening mechanism.
