Pan-democrats who abandoned confrontation could bag Hong Kong's top job: Albert Chen

Pan-democrats who have given up confrontation in favour of a top government role are likely to be accepted by Beijing as "patriots" suitable for the job of Hong Kong's chief executive, according to an expert on the city's mini constitution.

Leaders of Hong Kong's pro-democracy parties cannot expect to get the job, he added.

Professor Albert Chen Hung-yee, who sits on the Basic Law Committee which advises the national legislature, named three potentially acceptable candidates: Secretary for Housing and Transport Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, environment undersecretary Christine Loh Kung-wai and Executive Council member Anna Wu Hung-yuk.

"Some who were in the past considered pan-democrats and now work in the government could be considered China- loving and Hong Kong-loving figures," Chen said. "Otherwise they wouldn't have been allowed to take up key positions.

Although the terms do not appear in the Basic Law, the need to be "China-loving and Hong Kong-loving" has been repeatedly cited by Beijing officials as vital qualities for the next chief executive, who is due to be voted in by universal suffrage for the first time in 2017.

The requirement has been in turn cited by Beijing-loyalists to justify the central government's framework for the poll, with candidates needing support from a nomination committee before going through to the public vote.

Beijing and Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said there are pan-democrats who fulfil the requirement.

Chen said Beijing would only appoint someone whom "it could wholly trust [for being able to] safeguard China's national security and China's interest".

"[Beijing] is worried about some politicians who are too closely connected to foreign countries, or who do not affirm the current regime of China and believe China should follow a Western democratic path. It does not have faith in these people's suitability to be a chief executive," Chen said, without naming any politician.

Anonymous reports circulated last year accusing major pro-democracy parties of receiving funds from dubious sources.

And pro-democracy groups have had a big role in Occupy Central, which the mainland government has forcefully denounced.

Leaders of two of the city's leading pan-democratic parties questioned Chen's comments.

"This is a way ... to divide the pan-democratic camp," Civic Party leader Alan Leong Kah-kit said, adding that Cheung was no longer considered part of the pro-democracy camp.

Emily Lau Wai-hing, chairwoman of the Democratic Party, said Chen should understand the public's desire to exercise free will in the vote, without Beijing's restrictions or having to consider their establishment status.