Chief executive hopefuls will only need 120 nominating committee votes

Those hoping to run for Hong Kong's top job in 2017 will need just 120 votes of support from members of a 1,200-strong nominating committee in order to qualify for consideration as candidates under the government's electoral reform package to be unveiled next Wednesday, three government sources have said.

It is one of the few recommendations that the government hopes will persuade pan-democratic lawmakers to support its final suggestions for the election of the chief executive by universal suffrage for the first time.

But the package is unlikely to please even moderate pan-democrats, as it still requires candidates who have already secured the required 120 votes to then gain the support of more than half the nominating committee before they can qualify for the citywide "one man, one vote" election, as required by Beijing's stringent framework.

Under the proposals, whichever candidate tallies the most public votes would win the election. The winner would not have to clinch more than half of the votes if there were more than two candidates.

A government source said Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor would unveil the administration's package for the 2017 election in a statement to the Legislative Council next Wednesday.

"The government will roll out the reform proposal next Wednesday because it is still finalising the package," another source said.