Protesters in Admiralty on Oct. 28, 2014. (Photo: Laurel Chor/Coconuts Media)
Chief Executive CY Leung confirmed that the plan for how the election in 2017 will be held would be presented to the legislature this morning, saying it was a step towards the “historic goal” of a public vote for leader.
“Today the government will announce the report and the plan for the chief executive election so that Hong Kong can to take one more step towards this historic goal,” he told reporters.
“The one person, one vote, to allow five million people to choose the chief executive, is the collective wish of Chinese authorities, myself and the Hong Kong people.”
Leung called for support for the proposal from the public and legislators – pro-democracy lawmakers have threatened to block the plan when it goes to a vote in the legislature in the coming months.
He said the government was “confident” the plan would be passed, despite the vocal opposition, and dismissed demands to go against Beijing’s framework as not “grounded in reality”.
The government has been criticised for failing to accurately reflect opposition to Beijing’s restrictions to the central authorities.
But Leung insisted that the views of residents and lawmakers had been “fully and truthfully” communicated.
Words: AFP