It hardly seems coincidental. On the eve of a constitutional reform debate in the Legislative Council last Wednesday, pro-government legislator Tam Yiu-chung called for consultation on political reform to be deferred from the first to the second half of the year, or even next year.
In an interview with the Chinese-language Sing Tao Daily, published last Tuesday, the chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong argued that the government should concentrate on the economy and jobs issues as the city slips into recession.
There would still be plenty of time for deliberation if the consultation were delayed by six or 12 months, he said.
During Wednesday's debate, the minister in charge of constitutional affairs, Stephen Lam Sui-lung, hinted at a government rethink of its original timetable.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said in his October policy address that the government would consult the public on the electoral arrangements for 2012 in the first half of this year.
Mr Lam noted that there were different voices in Legco but kept his cards close to his chest, saying only that the government would consider the issue carefully and make an announcement when details of the consultation exercise were available.