New | Beijing’s plan for 2017 election will not change despite criticism, says NPC deputy

The national legislature will not change its controversial draft framework for Hong Kong’s political reform in the wake of criticism, a deputy to the body says.

Cheng Yiu-tong said no amendments could be made to the framework that will form the basis of the Hong Kong government's plan for the 2017 chief executive election, which will be reviewed by the public before the end of the year.

On Wednesday, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress agreed a draft set of restrictions for the election.

The key points include limiting the number of candidates to two or three, limiting the committee that will select candidates to 1,200 members and requiring hopefuls for the top job to get the backing of at least half the committee’s members to get on the ballot paper.

Pan-democrats called the framework “unacceptable” and lawmakers vowed to veto the Hong Kong government’s plan if it contained the same restrictions.

The official reform plan will need two-thirds support from lawmakers to be approved, meaning the government needs the votes of at least five pan-democrat lawmakers.