Hong Kong: Hong Kong`s government Wednesday announced a roadmap for leadership elections that offered no concessions to the city`s democracy camp -- prompting opposition lawmakers to walk out of the plan`s unveiling.
Deputy leader Carrie Lam said the first-ever public vote for the post of chief executive in 2017 would be held in "strict compliance" with a ruling by China`s National People`s Congress last August.
That ruling stated that candidates for chief executive must first be approved by a loyalist committee -- a decision that sparked more than two months of street protests towards the end of last year.
Lam said that voters in 2017 would choose from two to three candidates chosen by a 1,200-strong nominating committee.
That committee would reflect the current make-up of the pro-Beijing election committee, which up until now has chosen the city`s leader, she said.
"These proposals are in strict compliance with the Basic Law (Hong Kong`s constitution) and the relevant decisions of (China`s) Standing Committee of the National People`s Congress," Lam said.
"At the same time they fully take into account the views expressed by various sectors of the community," she added.
Most pro-democracy legislators marched out of the chamber following Lam`s speech.
"The pan-democrats would like to condemn strongly the government," said Civic Party lawmaker Alan Leong, one of those who walked out.
"We will launch a campaign to oppose the proposal and we will ask the Hong Kong public to continue to seek true universal suffrage," he added.
Pro-democracy lawmakers wore T-shirts and displayed placards emblazoned with a yellow "X", symbolising their intention to block the proposal when it comes to the vote in the legislature in the coming months.
Protesters gathered outside the government complex with pro-democracy demonstrators calling for "true universal suffrage" and carrying yellow umbrellas -- a symbol of the movement.
They were met with pro-government protesters waving large Chinese national flags.
