Scholarism convenor Joshua Wong said that HK$2 million would be needed to field two candidates in the upcoming LegCo elections, after the student activist group announced its suspension of operations to focus on a political party and a student group.
“At the moment, new political groups don’t even have one dollar. In April, [we] have to start paying rent. Hence we are in immediate and dire straits,” said Wong on Monday.
“In the future, we will use a crowdfunding movement, hoping to raise funds,” he said. “If we are elected by citizens, we hope to receive their small donations, even if it was ten or eight dollars, or even 50 or 100 dollars.”
None of Scholarism’s current funds will be transferred to the new party. Of the HK$1.45 million currently held by the group, HK$700,000 will be transferred to the new student group and HK$750,000 will be transferred to a fund for legal assistance, Scholarism announced.
