Third Side

Third Side
新思維
Chairman Tik Chi-yuen
Vice-Chairman Edwin Cheng
Founded 7 January 2015 (2015-01-07)
Membership  (2016) Decrease 68
Ideology Liberalism
Political position Centre
Colours      Green
Legislative Council
0 / 70
District Councils
1 / 458
Website
thirdside.org.hk
Third Side
Traditional Chinese 新思維

Third Side (Chinese: 新思維) is a centrist "middle-of-the road" political party in Hong Kong. Headed by former Democrats Tik Chi-yuen and Wong Sing-chi, the party claimed to offer an alternative "moderate approach" in the increasingly polarised politics between the pan-democracy camp and the pro-Beijing camp,[1]

History

It is headed by chairman Tik Chi-yuen, former vice-chairman of the Democratic Party and vice-convenor Wong Sing-chi, former Democrat legislator. Wong was expelled by the Democrats in July 2015 for urging legislators to accept the Beijing-decreed political reform package. Tik subsequently quit in September, citing differences on the pursuit of democracy.[2]

The party's 20-member preparatory committee included former Democrats Chan Ka-wai and Chow Yick-hay, and Centaline Property Agency co- founder Shih Wing-ching, who was also from Path of Democracy, the think tank set up by fellow moderate and former Civic Party legislator Ronny Tong Ka-wah.[1] Others included Hung Fook Tong executive director Ricky Szeto Wing-fu and Shue Yan University associate professor Lee Shu-kam. The party was inaugurated at a 7 January ceremony.[2]

Wong Sing-chi was a candidate in the Legislative Council by-election in early 2016, but lost the race by coming in the fifth place. The party is actively considering filling candidates in the 2016 Legislative Council elections.[1]

On 22 July 2016, ten members of the Third Side quit which included two vice-chairmen Marcus Liu Tim-shing and Ben Kuen Ping-yiu, who were all part of the team that was going to run in the New Territories East constituency. They stated that the party had fallen short of their expectation to forge a new brand of politics perched between the two traditional blocs. The party argued that their departure was due to the party's decision not to field any candidates in New Territories East in the upcoming election.[3] The party failed to win any seat in the election.

Performance in elections

Legislative council elections

Election Number of
popular votes		 % of
popular votes		 GC
seats		 FC
seats		 Total seats +/− Position
2016 13,461Steady 0.62Steady 0 0
0 / 70
 – –

District Council elections

Election Number of
popular votes		 % of
popular votes		 Total
elected seats		 +/−
2015 2,011Steady 0.14Steady
0 / 431
 0Steady

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ng, Kang-chung (29 September 2015). "New Hong Kong political party Third Side prepares to test its moderate stance in Legco elections". South China Morning Post.
  2. 1 2 Siu, Jasmine (29 September 2015). "Ex-Dems set up new party". The Standard.
  3. ↑ "We quit: 10 members from middle-of-the-road political party Third Side leave due to differences". South China Morning Post. 22 July 2016.
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