Democrats given Hong Kong lift

Alan Leong says the vote shows Hong Kong wants democracy

Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement says it has won enough seats on an election committee to put forward a candidate to run as the territory's next leader.

Official results show the democrats surpassed the 100-seat threshold they need to be able to nominate a candidate for chief executive of the territory.

The 800-member committee decides who will run for chief executive in the territory next March.

The China-backed incumbent Donald Tsang is expected to win re-election.

The likely democratic challenger, Alan Leong, has admitted his chances next March are slim but said the votes "qualify me to go into the ring... and to debate with Mr Tsang".

Exclusive vote

He said the result showed people in Hong Kong want their leader to be chosen in a contested election, in contrast to the unchallenged nominations of China's favourites in the past.

"Hong Kong people want to see the Hong Kong system democratised as soon as possible," he told a news conference.

The democrats say they have won at least 114 seats. The other seats were won by pro-government figures and people appointed by China.

Only members of political organisations, business and professional communities - less than 5% of the population - were allowed to vote in Sunday's election, in which 427 seats were being contested.

Of the 373 seats already allocated, 96 are assigned to members of Hong Kong's assembly, or to Hong Kong members of the National People's Congress in Beijing.

Other members are appointed through their professions or through political appointment.