Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers set to derail election reform package

The much-awaited elections reforms package is set to be tabled in the Hong Kong legislature as the fiercely-opposed pro-democracy members are gunning to derail the proposals.

In what has been billed as a "fake democracy" offer, the leaders have argued the electoral reforms package defeats the values of true democracy.

The government is set to present the controversial package, which for the first time would allow citizens to elect its chief executive in 2017, amid strong calls from pro-democracy groups. This was largely because the candidates for the top post will have to be necessarily vetted by the 1,200-member pro-China committee.

Hong Kong, a former British colony and currently a semi-autonomous region administered by China, was reeling under intense demonstrations for several weeks staged by pro-democracy groups in September 2014.

The protests were mostly spearheaded by student groups and the Occupy Movement with no significant success. Nevertheless, it provided China with one of the biggest political challenges in decades.

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters have started to gather outside Hong Kong's Legislative Council building ahead of the vote.

"I know that this government proposal is a lie. There's no chance that we'll be able to vote for who we really want for our chief executive, so that's why we have to be against this voting proposal," pro-democracy protester Brandy Yau told the Associated Press.

The proposals will be put to vote later in the week in which at least two-thirds of 70 lawmakers should rally behind the package to implement it.

Pro-democracy parties occupy 27 seats in the legislature and have pledged to veto the reforms. The Chinese government has cautioned pro-democracy voices not to mothball the package.

Authorities are expecting demonstrations alongside the debate in the legislative assembly and have deployed 200 police officers inside the building and another 1,000 security personnel have been stationed outside the assembly.