Professional Forum

Professional Forum
專業會議
Founded 8 October 2008
Merged into Business and
Professionals Alliance
Ideology Conservatism
Political position Centre-right
Regional affiliation Pro-Beijing camp
Legislative Council
3 / 70
Politics of Hong Kong
Political parties
Elections

Professional Forum (Chinese: 專業會議), formerly known as the Breakfast Group (Chinese: 早餐派) and The Alliance (Chinese: 泛聯盟), is a loose political group of the independent politicians in the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. In October 2012, the group formed the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA) with other LegCo members from the pro-business sectors.

Breakfast Group

The Breakfast Group was set up in 1991 in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong by Simon Ip Sik-on and Eric Li Ka-cheung and consisting of four other legislators elected through the functional constituencies or appointed by the Governor of Hong Kong.[1] Representing their each professional sectors' interests, they had no clear political affiliations and was considered as relatively moderate and independent and acted as a third force between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing camps, despite it was largely pro-government.[2]

In 1994, the Breakfast Group members Simon Ip and Martin Gilbert Barrow who said they would voted for the Liberal Party's amendment on Chris Patten's constitutional reform proposals however abstained at last which resulted in the defeat of the Liberals' amendment,[3] while Timothy Ha Wing-ho voted against the amendment and voted for Patten's proposals.[4]

During the 2000–2004 sessions the Breakfast Group had of seven Legislative Councillors, led by Eric Li from the Accountancy until his LegCo retirement in 2004 and included Bernard Chan (Insurance constituency), Raymond Ho Chung-tai (Engineering), Kaizer Lau Ping-cheung (Architectural, Surveying and Planning constituency), Abraham Shek Lai-him (Real Estate and Construction constituency), Lo Wing-lok (Medical constituency) and Ng Leung-sing (Election Committee constituency).[2]

The Alliance

The Breakfast Group renamed into the Alliance in October 2004 after the 2004 LegCo elections by remaining group members Bernard Chan, Raymond Ho and Abraham Shek. New members Patrick Lau Sau-shing (Architectural, Surveying and Planning constituency) and Lui Ming-wah (Industrial (Second) constituency) joined into their groups. Bernard Chan was appointed member of the Executive Council on 12 October 2004.[2]

Professional Forum

The Group renamed itself Professional Forum following the 2008 elections. The Forum consists of four members, Abraham Shek, Patrick Lau, Raymond Ho and Priscilla Leung Mei-Fun who was elected through the Kowloon West geographical constituency.[5]

In October 2012, the group formed the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong with other LegCo members from the pro-business sectors.

References

  1. "早餐派91年組成". Ming Pao. 30 August 2004.
  2. 1 2 3 Chan, Ming K.; Lo, Shiu-hing (2010). The A to Z of the Hong Kong SAR and the Macao SAR. Scarecrow Press. p. 73.
  3. "中時周刊, Volumes 128-139". 中國時報周刊. 1994: 143.
  4. 袁求實 (1997). 香港回歸大事記 (in Chinese). 三聯書店(香港). p. 185.
  5. Bonnie Chen; Diana Lee (October 9, 2008). "Lau confounds odds to regain finance post". The Standard. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
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