Pro-democracy lawmakers appear ready to veto a government plan for political reforms today because they say the changes don't go far enough.
Their opposition came despite the government's offer of last-minute concessions by cutting the number of appointed city councilors who will serve on a panel that picks the territory's leader.
Pro-democracy lawmakers blasted the Beijing-backed proposal for failing to address popular demands for a timetable for universal suffrage. They denounced the minor concession as mere "window-dressing."
"Without a timetable, we won't support the package," said Lee Wing-tat (
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang (
The opposition camp holds 25 seats in the legislature dominated by pro-Beijing and pro-government figures. The government is struggling to persuade at least six pro-democracy lawmakers to vote for the proposal, but many said yesterday that they will reject it.
"The proposal is unacceptable as it is," said opposition Legislator Albert Cheng (
In its original reform package, the Hong Kong government had proposed doubling the size of the 800-member panel charged with selecting the territory's leader and adding 10 seats to the legislature.
The plan would add 529 city councilors to the leader selection panel and five seats for district councilors in the legislature.
But tens of thousands of people marched two weeks ago to demand full democracy, prompting Tsang to say he'd make some changes to the proposal.
Two former Chilean ministers are among four candidates competing this weekend for the presidential nomination of the left ahead of November elections dominated by rising levels of violent crime. More than 15 million voters are eligible to choose today between former minister of labor Jeannette Jara, former minister of the interior Carolina Toha and two members of parliament, Gonzalo Winter and Jaime Mulet, to represent the left against a resurgent right. The primary is open to members of the parties within Chilean President Gabriel Boric’s ruling left-wing coalition and other voters who are not affiliated with specific parties. A recent poll by the
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