The pro-democracy camp is planning to carry out a mock referendum in selected districts to test the feasibility of a Hong Kong-wide referendum on universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008.

Lawmaker Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, convenor of a working group that made the proposal, declined to say when such an exercise would be carried out, adding it would finalise details at a meeting tomorrow for legislators, academics and community groups.

The referendum was intended to educate the public, said one participant.