Pan-democrats to take on Occupy activist groups in 14 constituencies in Hong Kong district council polls

Established pan-democratic parties and groups formed by veterans of the Occupy protests are set to go head to head in at least 14 constituencies in November's district council elections, according to a group coordinating the camp's efforts.

All but one of the parties in the pan-democratic camp and 14 new organisations inspired by last year's pro-democracy sit-ins have been working together to avoid such clashes according to the coordinating group, Power for Democracy.

Some 200 aspiring district councillors from pro-democracy groups and parties will only face pro-Beijing rivals in the polls.

Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, founder of Power for Democracy, said the set-up was better than that for the last district council elections, in which radical group People Power fielded candidates against other pan-democrats in tens of constituencies, in a bid to punish parties that backed a compromise with the government on political reform in 2010.

"People Power has not joined the coordination efforts but has signed an agreement this time in which we promise not to attack each other," he said.

However, attempts to work with three post-Occupy groups, including Youngspiration, have failed in 14 constituencies.