His reform plan rolled out in October failed to give a timeframe for allowing citizens to elect their own leaders, and has come under attack from all 25 pro-democracy legislators who have vowed to vote it down next month.

As tens of thousands prepare to take to the streets on Sunday to oppose the moves, Tsang made a last-ditch attempt to win people over describing it as a "defining stage" and a "crossroads" in Hong Kong's democratic development.

In a rare televised speech, Tsang asked "will we able to stride ahead, or will we be left marching on the spot, going nowhere?"

"The proposed package has not come easily. So tonight, I personally appeal to you all: do not let the hard work and efforts of the past two years be wasted," he said.

"I really cannot see any other option that can better suit Hong Kong's current circumstances, and be acceptable to all interested parties."

He argued the package was a "big step forward" along the road to universal suffrage in Hong Kong because it would double the size of the current 800-member selection committee, which chooses the city's leader.

Tsang's remarks came hours after pro-democracy opposition lawmakers in Hong Kong agreed to meet a Chinese official in a move viewed as a desperate attempt by Beijing to try and cool the row over political reform here.

Hong Kong was handed back to China with a guarantee written into its post-colonial constitution, called the Basic Law, that the introduction of universal suffrage was the city's ultimate political goal.

The Law, however, did not provide a time-frame to say when universal suffrage would be achieved.

Pro-democracy activists and lawmakers criticize Tsang's reform plan for neither going far enough nor quickly enough towards full democracy.

The issue has seen the pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps fight a protracted feud ever since the city reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.

While Tsang said he believed the plan had majority public support, he expressed concerns over what would happen if the proposal failed to pass the two-thirds of majority needed in the Legislative Council.

"We are now facing a real danger of our democratic development coming to a halt," he said.

"How can the demands for a roadmap and timetable be served by rejecting the government proposals? What good will this do to democratic development in Hong Kong?"

He warned that rejecting the package would bring the territory farther away from achieving universal suffrage.

Tsang pledged he would discuss the timetable to democracy further once the current plan had passed.

"We cannot rush the matter, but we will not be playing for time either," he said.

However, Tsang's appeal made little impact on the democrats.

"Tsang has no sincerity in setting a timetable. We are going in a circle and not moving forward," said pro-democracy legislator Alan Leong said.

Yeung Sum, legislator and member of the Democratic Party, echoed his views, saying, "The Democratic Party will continue to reject the proposal because he doesn't give us a timetable for universal suffrage."

"This is a delaying tactics. The Hong Kong people have been waiting for too long for this and how much longer do we have to wait?"

Yeung continued to call for people to take to the streets on the Sunday march to voice their opposition.

Successive polls have shown public disquiet over the government's reform proposals and a survey by the Hong Kong Baptist University suggests turnout for the rally could be as high as 200,000 people.

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