The justice chief and a pro-establishment heavyweight yesterday poured cold water on an academic’s idea of holding a public vote on political reform, saying Hong Kong law has no provision for a referendum. The idea of a vote was put forward by University of Hong Kong pollster Dr Robert Chung Ting-yiu to the government consultation on models for the 2017 chief executive election. He suggested pan-democrats could agree to drop their pledge to vote down the government’s reform package if 62/37 of voters backed it. But Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung said: “There is no legal basis for us to have a referendum. A referendum has no place in Hong Kong.” Speaking on condition of anonymity, a pro-establishment heavyweight dismissed Chung’s idea as “unfeasible” under Hong Kong’s mini-constitution. The heavyweight, who was speaking on the sidelines of the national legislature’s annual session in Beijing, urged pan-democrats to show “sincerity and courage” and accept a package based on Beijing’s framework for 2017. Pan-democrats say the rules – under which two or three candidates, chosen by a majority of a 1,200-strong committee, could run – would not offer true choice. Civic Party leader Alan Leong Kah-kit also poured cold water on the referendum idea, although his pan-democratic colleagues were still debating it. He pointed out that 700,000 people voted in an unofficial poll last year, with the majority agreeing that any electoral system that did not meet international standards should be rejected. The heavyweight in Beijing also rejected suggestions from the Liberal Party that the public should be allowed to put candidates forward to the committee and an academic’s suggested “none-of-the-above” option. Both ideas would “negate the nominating committee’s … responsibilities”, as set out in the Basic Law. Meanwhile, Beijing’s top official in the city, liaison office director Zhang Xiaoming, yesterday confirmed that Basic Law Committee chairman Li Fei would not visit Hong Kong to meet pan-democrats. But fellow committee member Professor Rao Geping said yesterday he could have such a meeting during a visit next month. “If there is a need, then there should be a meeting,” he said.