Pan-democrats are scrambling to reach agreement on a way to scupper government efforts to ram through a law scrapping by-elections.
But many find the options, which include a mass resignation eclipsing the one that sparked the bill in the first place, have serious drawbacks.
The 23 lawmakers are united in wanting to block the legislation, which the government has sprung upon the legislature. It would mean a directly elected lawmaker who died, resigned or was disqualified midterm would be replaced by the next-best-placed candidate in the constituency at the previous election, regardless of political affiliation. The camp says this removes a basic voting right.
The eight pan-democrats attending a Legco committee meeting to consider the government's bill walked out on Wednesday, then resigned from the committee along with four others. But if they can't agree what to do next, their newfound unity will be destroyed.
The pan-democrats will discuss the issue today. Some have suggested mounting a filibuster; others suggest resigning en masse from the legislator. But there is opposition to both.
People Power lawmaker Wong Yuk-man - one of five who resigned in 2009 to trigger by-elections they hoped would serve as de facto referendum on political reform - wants all 23 pan-democrats to quit for what would be a referendum on the by-elections bill. Opponents said it would do more harm than good and do nothing to stop the legislation. The by-elections last year lie behind the move to scrap such votes.