CCTV9英语新闻：LegCo to vote on constitutional dev't program（在线收听）

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is set to submit constitutional development plan to the SAR Legislative Council for a vote today.  

The plan was unveiled by the local government in April. It states that candidates to be the next SAR chief executive will be picked by a 1,200-member nominating committee from four social sectors, consisting of 38 sub-sectors. In 2017, up to 5 million Hong Kong residents are expected to vote for their chief executive for the first time in history.

However, some legislators hold different views about the universal suffrage package, threatening to veto the plan. As the package must be endorsed by at least two-thirds of Legislative Council members, legislators will be critical in deciding whether Hong Kong would reach the democratic milestone, which is now only a step away. 

The Special Administrative Region chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, says he believes the plan can get the broadest social consensus.

"The plan that the SAR government is going to submit to the Legislative Council is a detailed one, that has won the broadest consensus in the society, and has the biggest possibility to win a majority of two-third supporters in the Legislative Council," Leung said.

"A plan that conforms to the Basic Law and relevant decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress represents a real universal suffrage. A plan that doesn't conform to the Basic Law and relevant decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is unrealistic. I've stated this in the Legislative Council."