As she was sworn in at the Legislative Council chamber last Wednesday, Anson Chan Fang On-sang completed her transformation from a former senior bureaucrat to an elected legislator. Although she arrived at the finishing line with a substantial victory over her rival, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, her future does not look rosy. She is likely to confront many hurdles between now and the next Legco poll.
Her foremost test will be regarding her relationship with the pan-democrats. Although she stood as their nominee for the Hong Kong Island by-election, Mrs Chan has yet to make crystal clear her rapport with the pro-democracy camp.
The all-out support from pan-democratic heavyweights during her campaign means that Mrs Chan owes the democrats an unequivocal answer, and keeping some distance from them appears to be utterly unrealistic.
But, comradeship with the democrats would damage Mrs Chan's ability to engage in constructive dialogue with Beijing, which was part of her campaign pledge. Judging from media interviews, Mrs Chan remains uncommitted at the moment. This is likely to evoke resentment from her pro-democracy allies.
Badly beaten in the district council elections, democrats urgently need a charismatic leader to restore their morale and unity so they can move on to the challenge facing them next September. Arriving in Legco with a strong mandate, Mrs Chan looks like the perfect candidate for such a job. But that is easier said than done.
Even if she gives a definite 'yes' to her pro-democracy friends, she still faces a problem: the pan-democratic camp will soon start to prepare party lists of contenders in each geographical district for next year's Legco election.
There will be intense competition and negotiations among different factions. As a result, just how much support and respect Mrs Chan has from the different enclaves, especially the mavericks within the camp, will be severely tested.