Thousands of people turned out for a pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong yesterday to demand the right to pick the city's leader and entire legislature in 2012.
More than 2,000 protesters gathered in Victoria Park to open umbrellas to form the numbers 2-0-1-2 in a Hong Kong park before they marched to government headquarters, organizers said.
The demonstration comes days before a three-month consultation period on Hong Kong's political reform ends on Wednesday.
The government has issued a consultation paper containing various proposals on how and when the city's leader and legislature should be elected.
However, pro-democracy legislators who want direct elections as soon as possible have criticized the document, saying it's confusing to the public because it lists many options.
The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 but was promised a wide degree of autonomy under a "one country, two systems" formula.
Beijing ruled out granting full democracy to the territory before next year.
Residents of Hong Kong do not have the right to select the territory's leader, who is known as the chief executive.
An election committee that is considered loyal to Beijing, makes the selection.
Only half of the local legislative assembly's 60 lawmakers are directly elected. The rest are picked by special interest groups, such as business and labor unions.
Many Hong Kongers want democracy, but Beijing loyalists -- especially those in the business community -- claim that such political changes would create social upheaval, as well as upset the territory's economy.
"When will Hong Kong have universal suffrage?" asked Cheung Po-meng, 51.
Cheung said Hong Kong should attain full democracy by 2012.
Executive Michael Hui said Hong Kong is a mature city with the wisdom to elect leaders.
"We need to have a good political environment in order to sustain our economic development," he said.
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