Pro-democracy lawmakers' inclination toward staying in the Legislative Council during the one-year extension is based on it being the "lesser of the two evils," and they can be voted out if certain people are unhappy with their performance in the coming year, Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai said.

This comes as the lawmakers had a meeting on Monday regarding whether they should participate in the extended Legco session during the year-long transition.

Wu said yesterday they have considered the fact that bills that could harm citizens' interests could be rushed through during the extension - if all pro-democracy lawmakers were to leave the council.

He added that any decision by lawmakers to stay on in Legco is not equivalent to accepting appointments.

"The government can 'casually' disqualify any of them if the number of pro-democracy lawmakers staying in Legco is small," he said.

Civic Party lawmaker Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu said that like most pro-democracy parties, members of the Civic Party are inclined toward staying on during the extension.

However, People Power lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen said that he is for boycotting Legco during the transition, adding that pro-democracy lawmakers should do so collectively.

Chan said that he is dissatisfied with the postponement of the Legco elections and the National People's Congress standing committee's decision to extend all incumbent lawmakers' terms in Legco for at least a year.

Asked if he will run in the next election, he said it will depend on if he is allowed by the government and if citizens support him doing so.

Legal scholar Benny Tai Yiu-ting said that the divided views among pro-democracy lawmakers on the extended terms in Legco are not "unsolvable."

"They should act in accordance with the situation, and show considerations to those who hold different views and do not point fingers at each other," he said.

Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying said that pro-democracy lawmakers have the obligation to stay on Legco and "safeguard" Hong Kong, saying: "If pro-democracy lawmakers were to leave Legco collectively, pro-Beijing lawmakers and the government will seize the chance to do whatever they can inside Legco."

Weighing in on what is set to be a contentious issue among pan-democrats is Wu Chi-wai.

Legco stay 'a lesser evil'