As the eighth Legislative Council (LegCo) prepares to convene, Ronick Chan Chun-ying—a speculated candidate for the presidency—has been reassigned to a more central seat adjacent to his G19 colleague, according to sources.
The LegCo seating plan is divided into three main parts, with each row accommodating about six to seven seats, as illustrated in the seating arrangement of the current lawmakers below.
Members of the same party or sector are usually arranged near each other to provide mutual support.
G19 members, composed of nonpartisan legislators, are concentrated in the latter half of the middle part.
According to the previous temporary seating arrangement obtained by Sing Tao Headline, the sister publication of The Standard, Chan was placed in the top right corner from the president’s view, directly behind the current seat of David Lam Tzit-yuen.
This “isolated” placement prompted speculation about his candidacy for the presidency.
However, as per the latest update yesterday afternoon, Chan has been moved to a seat closer to the middle of the Chamber, in the spot currently occupied by Kwok Wai-keung.
He will sit next to members from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, with Lam Wai-kong on one side.
To Chan’s right, separated by a corridor, will be his G19 colleague Andrew Yao Cho-fai. The original seat assigned to Chan will now be occupied by David Lam.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Ng Wing-ka, initially assigned to the second row, will retain his current position.
Some lawmakers have privately expressed concerns that the initial plan hinted at implications for the presidency race but dismissed excessive speculation as pointless, urging patience for official developments.
