20 JUN 2014 3:46AM
1 WHAT IS HONG KONG’S UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE REFERENDUM?
Residents in the former British colony, which returned to China in 1997, have been fighting for a democratic system for years. Currently, Hong Kong’s chief executive is chosen by a 1,200-member committee drawn largely from pro-Beijing and business camps. In principle, Beijing has agreed to direct elections, and said that 2017 is the earliest the city can begin to enjoy universal suffrage.
However, there’s considerable dispute over what such a system would look like, and how democratic it will actually be. From June 20-29, the University of Hong Kong is conducting an online poll to gauge residents’ views about the future of the city’s political system in conjunction with a pro-democracy movement called Occupy Central. Organizers will also accommodate in-person voting at more than a dozen polling stations.
From:http://blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2014/06/20/5-things-to-know-about-hong-kongs-referendum/