Hong Kong's legislature on Thursday vetoed a China-vetted electoral reform package that had been criticized by opposition prodemocracy lawmakers and activists as undemocratic, potentially easing the prospect of fresh mass protests.
The vote came earlier than expected, with only 37 of the legislature's 70 lawmakers present. Of these, 28 legislators voted against the blueprint and eight voted in favour, while one did not cast their vote.
The rejection had been expected and will likely appease some activists who had demanded a veto of what they call a "fake" democratic model for how the Chinese-controlled Asian financial centre chooses its next leader in 2017.