Student, Occupy leaders announce vote on government’s reform proposals
Democratic exercise will ask whether students' federation should accept the government's offers
Protesters in "Umbrella Plaza", Admiralty, will be polled on whether student leaders should accept the government's offers made at talks on Tuesday on ending nearly a month of sit-ins.
Student leaders and Occupy Central organisers said the poll would be held on Sunday.
One of Hong Kong's most respected pan-democrat politicians, and an academic close to student leaders, urged them to take seriously the government's offers to submit a report to the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office on sentiments expressed during the protests and to set up a platform for dialogue on constitutional development.
The founding chairman of the Democratic Party, Martin Lee Chu-ming, and Chinese University political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung said the students should keep an open mind on engaging in more talks with officials.
In August, the National People's Congress Standing Committee set strict limits on the 2017 chief executive election and 2016 Legislative Council election.
The Federation of Students has rejected the government's offers, saying the report should have some influence on the Standing Committee's decision and that the dialogue must address elections in 2016 and 2017.
Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting said they hoped to get a stronger endorsement from the people through Sunday's poll, which will be conducted in Admiralty from 8pm to 11pm. People will be asked whether they support the federation's stance.
