Lawyers and academics who have been contesting the proposed national security legislation now want to actively push democratic reforms.
Members of the Article 23 Concern Group will today announce the formation of another high-profile organisation, the Article 45 Concern Group, which will advocate greater democracy.
Only 800 of Hong Kong's 6.8 million citizens have the right to elect the chief executive. Article 45 of the Basic Law says the ultimate aim is to select the chief executive by universal suffrage upon nomination by a committee which is broadly representative.
Tung Chee-hwa was picked by an elite panel of 400 people in 1996 to serve a five-year term, and was returned unopposed last year to serve until 2007, after securing more than 700 nominations from an 800-member panel.
The Article 45 Concern Group said it would publish a series of opinions addressing the issue of selecting the chief executive in 2007 by universal suffrage. 'In the wake of the July 1 march, the call for democracy by the Hong Kong people is very clear,' the group said.
The opinions will be published in pamphlets which will be distributed to the public, according to the group. It did not say if it would also fight for the abolition of the functional constituency elections in the legislature, in which lawyers have a representative seat.