City prepares for consultation on 2017 popular election of chief executive

Hong Kong, with its rule of law and high degree of autonomy, is internationally recognised as China's freest city. Now it has the chance to add to its list of cherished civil liberties - the right for all its voters to choose their next leader through one person, one vote.

But the process towards such an election is uncertain, requiring a lot of horse trading and compromise - and some political scientists worry that in deciding how to run this poll, the city could sink into a governance crisis.

On December 29, 2007, the National People's Congress Standing Committee decided that in 2017, Hong Kong's chief executive may be elected by universal suffrage. What that means has been hotly debated ever since - with some saying the language was a solemn promise, others fretting that the language falls short of a commitment. According to the Basic Law's Article 45, the city's version of a constitution, the vote for chief executive shall be done "upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures". More than three million registered voters could cast ballots.

Simple as it may seem, the five-month public consultation that starts today will inaugurate three years of planning that will decide if universal suffrage can really be achieved. What is finally put forward will require the approval of two-thirds of the legislature - 47 of the 70 members, including at least four pan-democrats - and the endorsement of Beijing and the chief executive.

These are the main issues that are likely to be debated: