In 2010, the two electoral methods proposed for 2012 CE and LegCo elections were sensationally passed in LegCo with the support of the Democratic Party, which provided eight votes.

That time, the government had learnt a lesson from its 2005 electoral reform setback - in which they failed to secure sufficient votes from individual opposition lawmakers - and adopted a new tactic of targeting an entire political party.

This time, at least five votes from the opposition camp are needed to carry the 2017 electoral reform. Adeline Wong thinks the government will, like 2010, pursue "block votes" from a single political party.

The Democratic Party, with six votes, remains the likely target to be lobbied. But the party came under fire after supporting the government on electoral reform in 2010 and fared badly in the 2012 LegCo election. Her guess is the Democratic Party will lobby other opposition lawmakers to support the electoral reform measures and "share the pressure".

(HK Edition 10/18/2013 page8)