DAB chairman Ma Lik yesterday hinted he may stand for next year's Legislative Council election to counter fierce competition from former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee.
Mr Ma's comments came after Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun said an internal poll by his party found Mrs Ip's rating, which stood at 16 per cent, was higher than the 13 per cent for a hypothetical joint ticket of Mr Ma and fellow party member Choy So-yuk in the Hong Kong Island constituency.
Mr Ma said: 'Regina Ip's high popularity is within our expectations because she once enjoyed very high popularity when she was the secretary and her rating only dropped after the Article 23 [security law controversy].'
The fact that she enjoyed high popularity meant the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong had to work harder for the election, he said.
Mr Ma added that although Mrs Ip had friendly relations with the party, she posed a threat to it securing the two seats in the Island constituency, as both shared a similar source of votes.
The poll showed Mrs Ip's popularity lagged behind Civic Party legislator Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, who topped the ratings with 20 per cent, and the Democrats' joint ticket of Martin Lee Chu-ming and Yeung Sum with 18 per cent. Liberal Party vice-chairwoman Miriam Lau Kin-yee followed the Ma-Choy ticket with a rating of 10 per cent.