DHAKA: Talks between pro-democracy protesters and government officials in Hong Kong will be held on Friday.

Officials say, reports the BBC.

The talks will discuss ‘legal implementations of these political reforms’, said Lau Kong-wah, government undersecretary, referring to the 2017 elections for chief executive.

The protesters want a fully free vote, but China says it will vet candidates for Hong Kong’s top job in advance.

Mass demonstrations which began more than a week ago have largely subsided.

In the past week parts of central Hong Kong were brought to a complete standstill as tens of thousands gathered on the streets in the financial district and over the harbour in Mong Kok.

Senior government officials - including Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam Chi-yuen - will take part in Friday's talks, scheduled to begin at 16:00 (08:00 GMT).

Lester Shum, a leader of one of the main pro-democracy student groups, said that protesters were eager to talk to senior government officials, but said he was ‘angry and disappointed’ that the scope of the talks would probably be limited.

He reiterated that the talks would not go ahead if the few remaining demonstrators were removed from the streets by force.

BDST: 1600 HRS, OCT 08, 2014