The 14 legislators sitting on the Preparatory Committee were yesterday urged to speak out against China's plan to scrap Legco in July next year.
Governor Chris Patten said: 'I hope the Preparatory Committee will demonstrate that it is prepared to speak up for Hong Kong, and not just go along with whatever some Chinese officials propose.' He challenged Beijing to deny that it was setting up the provisional legislature as a method of preventing Democratic Party members sitting on the lawmaking body.
Mr Patten's comments came as the Preparatory Committee arranged to endorse formally the proposal for a provisional legislature at a two-day plenum starting tomorrow.
The plan was approved by a sub-group on Wednesday.
Mr Patten said the 'sole purpose' was to prevent pro-democracy legislators sitting on Legco after the handover.
'If they think we are wrong, let them deny that they will put forward any arrangements designed to exclude some of those politicians in Hong Kong who've demonstrated that they represent majority opinion,' he added.
He said Chinese officials and committee members had failed to respond directly to his claim.
