Ronny Tong, co-founder of pan-democrat Civic Party leaves executive
After years of tension with colleagues over political issues, Ronny Tong steps down
Maverick pan-democrat Ronny Tong Ka-wah moved further away from the leadership of the party he co-founded yesterday, stepping down from the executive of the Civic Party.
Tong, who had previously indicated he would not seek a new term as head of the party's New Territories East division, was replaced by fellow lawyer Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu.
Yeung, 33, was Tong's running mate in New Territories East at the 2012 Legislative Council poll and is seen as a rising star of the party. He refused to be drawn on whether Tong would run for a new term in Legco in 2016.
"Since the founding of the party, Ronny has been making significant contribution," Yeung said. "I think whether he holds a title or not will not change this."
Tong, a senior counsel who has served as a lawmaker for a decade, was out of town last night and unavailable for comment.
His decision to step down follows years of tension with party colleagues. While Tong has favoured moderation and attempted to find rapprochement on democratic development with Beijing, many of his colleagues have taken a harder stance.
