HONG KONG (AFX) - Opposition lawmaker Emily Lau said she is considering running for the leadership of Hong Kong to protest Beijing's overriding control in selecting the chief executive.

Lau, an outspoken critic of the territory's Beijing-backed government, said she may run to highlight the lack of democracy in a city where top leaders are effectively selected by mainland China.

"It would inject some kind of transparency into the small-circle election," Lau told Agence France-Presse. "It would hopefully force some kind of debate."

An election committee of 800 Beijing loyalists will gather on July 10 to select the city's next chief executive. The by-election was forced after former leader Tung Chee-hwa resigned citing health worries three weeks ago.

His deputy Donald Tsang has stepped in as interim leader but is a favourite to win the July poll.

Lau said she and fellow democrats do not want to see a repeat of the last election when Tung ran unopposed.

"It was revolting, it was humiliating," said Lau. "We do not want to see anything like that again."

She faces an uphill struggle, however. First she will have to convince her own party, The Frontier, to drop its opposition to what it calls small-circle elections.

She will also seek the opinions of human rights groups and other non-governmental organisations that form her power base. Most difficult of all, however, she must be nominated by at least 100 members of the election committee.

"It's unlikely I will be nominated -- you need the support of tycoons and Beijing for that," Lau said. "But as a prospective candidate in the meantime I can at least draw some attention to the election."

Last week the leading democratic organisation, The Democratic Party, said it will enter a protest candidate.

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