Spurning stern warnings from local and central Chinese government officials, Hong Kong’s legislature voted Thursday to reject a Beijing-drafted election plan that set off massive street protests in the territory last fall.
The proposed election framework for the semi-autonomous territory -- put forward last summer by the standing committee of China's National People's Congress -- had been derided by opponents as “fake democracy.” While the package would have allowed citizens in this former British colony for the first time to cast ballots directly for the city’s chief executive, the highest office, it would have limited their choice to two or three candidates approved by a nominations committee expected to be stacked with pro-establishment figures.