Hong Kong - Scores of pro-democracy legislators and activists in Hong Kong Tuesday marched to demand universal suffrage in the former British colony by 2012.

The demonstrators marched from the city's Legislative Council building to Government House, calling for democracy and criticizing the territory's chief executive Donald Tsang.

Beijing-appointed Tsang earlier this month put off a planned public consultation on political reform in the city of 6.9 million, saying the government needed to focus on the economic crisis.

The move was widely condemned by pro-democracy supporters who accused Tsang of trying to block universal suffrage against the wishes of the majority of the population.

Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" arrangement and a mini-constitution that technically allows for full democracy from 2007.

China has since ruled that there can be no universal suffrage until at least 2017. Currently, there is no popular vote for chief executive in Hong Kong and only half of legislators are directly elected. (dpa)