Hong Kong officials, democracy protesters hold first talks

FE Team | Published: October 22, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

HONG KONG, Oct 21 (AFP): Hong Kong authorities and pro-democracy protesters Tuesday held their first talks aimed at ending weeks of rallies that have paralysed parts of the city, after its leader ruled out major reforms.
Chief executive Leung Chun-ying, in an interview late Monday, said open elections for his successor as demanded by demonstrators would result in the largest sector of society-the city's poor-dominating the electoral process.
But hours before the talks began, he raised the prospect of limited reforms-offering protesters an olive branch after more than three weeks of rallies and roadblocks in the financial hub.
Several major intersections in the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city have been paralysed since September 28 by mass rallies demanding free elections, in one of the biggest challenges to Beijing's authority since the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests of 1989.
"I hope this dialogue can calm the relatively tense atmosphere in society," said Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, Leung's deputy, in her opening remarks Tuesday as the talks got under way at a medical college.
As part of promised constitutional reforms China has offered Hong Kongers the chance to vote-for the first time-for their next chief executive in 2017.
But only those vetted by a 1,200-strong committee loyal to Beijing will be allowed to stand for election-a proposal activists have labelled a "fake" democracy.
Under the current system the committee directly elects the leader.
"When five million eligible voters directly vote for the chief executive through one-person-one-vote, no matter which way you look at it, it is much more democratic than having the leader chosen by a 1,200-strong committee," Lam added.
"The government's direction of development...is not democratic, equal, open and is not an improvement," said Alex Chow, secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, one of the groups leading the protests.