The pan-democrats have been accused by Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee of contradicting themselves by rejecting a screening mechanism for the chief executive election while trying to nominate a sole candidate for a Legislative Council by-election.
The pan-democrats have voiced opposition to a so-called nomination procedure for the chief executive election under universal suffrage, fearing it would effectively screen out their candidates before a ballot by one person, one vote.
The former security chief said the pan-democrats' decision to negotiate on a sole candidate for the coming Hong Kong Island by-election showed the need for a screening mechanism in any election.
Mrs Ip described the pan-democrats' positions on the by-election and the chief executive poll as 'self-contradictory'.
'I think it is really in line with what's happening in democracy in the west. Major parties in the US and the UK all have nomination procedures. In the US, the party representatives go through a primary, and they actually go through indirect elections.
'It really goes to show that in any election you need a nomination procedure,' she said.