Just a week ago, most politicians in the city laughed off the chance of former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang running in the Legislative Council's by-election on Hong Kong Island. But intensive lobbying from pro-democracy heavyweights has changed her mind.
Sources from the camp said veteran democrat Martin Lee Chu-ming, PCCW chairman Richard Li Tzar-kai, Next Media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and senior barrister Denis Chang Khen-lee all played key roles in Mrs Chan's decision.
The sources said they expected Mr Li, a son of tycoon Li Ka-shing, and Mr Lai to financially support Mrs Chan's campaign, and that the lobbyists had presented her with some impressive arguments to run for election at this time.
They told her this was neither an election to fill a Legco vacancy left by long-time Beijing loyalist Ma Lik, nor a battle between the pro-democracy and Beijing-friendly camps. Instead, they framed it as a 'war for the referendum' on universal suffrage in 2012.
Mrs Chan and her allies know this is a golden opportunity to use the by-election as a platform to fight for universal suffrage in 2012 and to intensify the green paper discussion on political reform.
A source close to Mrs Chan said: 'She did not ask for it [the election], the situation just arrived and happened.