Occupy Central may be delayed until government offers 'clearer' proposals
Organiser says pro-democracy campaign might have to wait until end of next year, when it can assess government reform proposals
The Occupy Central campaign could be put off until the end of next year, when it can decide if the government has tabled an "acceptable" electoral reform package, its core organiser Benny Tai Yiu-ting said yesterday.
Tai said the movement faced "no choice" but to delay any action, which had originally been planned for the summer of next year, as the government had not set out clear proposals accepting or rejecting the group's demands.
Two pan-democrat legislators expressed concern that the campaign could risk losing its momentum.
NeoDemocrats lawmaker Gary Fan Kwok-wai said the end of next year would be "a bit too late" for any action.
"Following the original timetable could be better for fermenting support," Fan added. "But I'm not worried about the prospect of Occupy Central. There's still a chance that the [overall pro-democracy] campaign will achieve its aims."
Labour Party chairman Lee Cheuk-yan said the new timetable might not be too late, but organisers would have to find ways to "keep the pressure on".
"It has to do with the principle of civil disobedience," Occupy organiser Tai said. "When the authorities … haven't rejected your demands … you must try all legal options first.