NPC Standing Committee to reject pan-democrats' compromise plan The national legislature will rule out increasing the number of directly elected Legislative Council seats in 2012 unless there is a matching increase in functional constituency seats - thereby effectively rejecting a compromise proposal from the pan-democrats. However, it is understood that the decision on a timetable for universal suffrage, which the National People's Congress Standing Committee will endorse today, leaves the way open for an expansion of functional constituency electorates. Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun, who is also a delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said a proposal from the pan-democratic camp to reduce the number of functional constituency seats in 2012 would not work. 'My understanding is that the NPC Standing Committee will clearly state that the ratio of directly elected seats and functional seats in 2012 will remain 50:50. Therefore, the democrats' counterproposal is irrelevant,' Mr Tien said. Earlier, former Democratic Party chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming and present chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan suggested the pan-democrats could consider supporting a delay in returning the chief executive through universal suffrage until 2017 if the 30 functional constituencies were reduced to 15 in 2012. Sources in Beijing have indicated in the past two days that the Standing Committee will state in its decision that election of the chief executive by universal suffrage in 2017 can be considered if Donald Tsang Yam-kuen can come up with a proposal able to muster the required two-thirds majority in Legco. The Standing Committee is expected to rule out universal suffrage for elections of the chief executive and Legco in 2012. Last night, pan-democrats voiced sadness and anger at what they said was Beijing's snubbing of the public's aspirations. Mr Lee said without the modest democratisation of the legislature that he had put forward, it would be difficult for them to support any vague timetable for universal suffrage without knowing details of the proposed electoral method. 'The expected decision by Beijing is really disappointing. I can't see any sincerity in it,' he said. However, the Standing Committee's decision is not expected to touch on the scope of functional constituency electorates, offering hope for a slightly more democratic legislative election in 2012 through expansion of the franchise for these seats. At present, the 30 functional constituency lawmakers are elected by about 160,000 voters in 28 business and professional sectors. Pan-democrats have been pushing hard to expand the electorates to cover all employees, not just employers and companies. Mr Tien, whose party now holds eight functional seats, said he agreed in principle that the electoral base could be expanded. That view was shared by Ip Kwok-him, vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Standing Committee deputy secretary general Qiao Xiaoyang will visit Hong Kong this afternoon to explain Beijing's position after the Standing Committee's decision is announced in the morning. Pan-democrat lawmakers, who have been invited to the briefing at Government House, said the Hong Kong government was not sincere about fostering dialogue at the event, since they had been limited to filing written questions. Pan-democrats will make a last stand for universal suffrage in 2012 with a march from the Legislative Council building to Government House via the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, where Mr Qiao will brief local NPC and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference delegates about the decision. Today's events 9am NPC Standing Committee vote on the resolution on Hong Kong 10.30am Standing Committee press conference Before noon Chief Executive Donald Tsang's press conference 2.30pm March for universal suffrage organised by pan-democrats from Legco to Government House via Convention Centre in Wan Chai 5.30pm Qiao Xiaoyang meets local NPC and CPPCC delegates at Convention Centre 7.30pm Candle-light sit-in by pan-democrats outside Government House 8.15pm Qiao Xiaoyang meets legislators at Government House