Hong Kong election rules could be here to stay, says top mainland official Li Fei

Beijing's conservative framework for Hong Kong's universal suffrage in 2017 could apply to elections beyond that year even if it is vetoed by local lawmakers, a top mainland official said in a warning that deepened pan-democrats' desperation.

Li Fei's remark came as he explained to local community representatives the decision rolled out by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Sunday for the city's first popular election to choose its leader in 2017.

It also came as three international political and legal scholars told the South China Morning Post that the new reform framework was a far cry from international democratic standards.

Li, chairman of the Basic Law Committee under the Standing Committee, was asked at a press conference whether the framework for the 2017 election would be re-tabled and applied to elections beyond that year, if it was vetoed by the Legislative Council.

"It has been considered," Li said.

"The decision has stipulated the term 'starting from 2017', meaning that the election method for universal suffrage in 2017 and beyond should also be based on this framework."