independence

Lai argued on Wednesday that he opposed violence and that advocating for Hong Kong independence was "too crazy to think about".

After years of increasingly authoritarian rule under Georgian Dream, it was widely considered the most crucial vote since Georgians backed independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Backed by Russia, Abkhazia fought a war of secession with Georgia in 1992-93, before unilaterally declaring independence.

One of the main organisers of the 2020 primary, Mr Tai has been labelled by China as a “hardcore troublemaker” for allegedly advocating Hong Kong independence and describing the Communist Party’s rule as a “dictatorship”.

The current membership is roughly half what it was after a surge following 2014's independence referendum.