By Damian Grammaticas BBC Hong Kong correspondent

Around 500 people have staged a march through the centre of Hong Kong demanding that the territory's Chief Executive stand down when his term in office ends next year.

Mr Tung has dealt a very serious blow to the rule of law

Emily Lau Protester

With loudspeakers and whistles, they marched through the centre of Hong Kong in carefully marshalled lines.

The protestors accuse Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa of damaging Hong Kong's autonomy and say he should not be appointed for a second term.

Mr Tung was chosen by Beijing to lead the former colony when it returned to Chinese rule four years ago.

Hand-picked

The protesters came from a coalition of civil rights groups, opposition parties and pro-democracy campaigners.

It is thought Mr Tung is backed by the Chinese for a second term

The former shipping tycoon was hand-picked by the Chinese central government in Beijing to take over when Britain's last colonial governor packed his bags in 1997.

Early next year, a specially formed election committee of 800 mostly establishment and pro-Beijing figures will pick the new chief executive.

The marchers carried banners saying 'Hong Kong needs democracy' and 'one person one vote'.

'Cronyism'

Emily Lau, a spokesperson for the self-styled Coalition Against a Second Term, said their message was "to tell Mr C H Tung and the central government in Beijing the Hong Kong people are fed up with Mr Tung and they don't want him to serve a second term as our Chief Executive".

"One of the things that the Hong Kong people really object to is cronyism and also lack of respect for the rule of law. Under Mr Tung's leadership many Hong Kong people feel that only his very good friends will get preferential treatment," said Ms Lau.

"Mr Tung has dealt a very serious blow to the rule of law."

That blow, the protestors say, came two years ago when Mr Tung took the unprecedented step of having a major judgement by Hong Kong's highest court overruled by Beijing.

The protestors say the move compromised the territory's autonomy from China.

Mr Tung has yet to say whether he will seek a second term but it is widely believed that he has been given the central government's blessing if he wishes to continue in charge of the territory.