HONG KONG: Two women are at the centre of the debate over universal suffrage, writes Clifford Coonan in Hong Kong
One woman is a widely respected former top government official known as the "iron lady" and "the conscience of Hong Kong". The other was a security chief who became so unpopular that her effigy was dragged through the streets of the former crown colony in 2003 but who now appears to have converted to democracy after a year at Princeton.
Both Anson Chan and Regina Ip are at the vanguard of vigorous debate over universal suffrage in Hong Kong, even though this flies in the face of Beijing's insistence the territory should remain "an economic city".
Anson Chan is a legend in Hong Kong politics. When she stepped down as second-in-command in 2001, she won plaudits from everyone for her work as a civil servant and for her commitment to the territory.
For four years, Ms Chan maintained a dignified silence, but in December she took part in a pro-democracy rally. This month she said Hong Kong needed the democratic reform it had been promised in its mini constitution, the Basic Law, and she would set up a group to examine democratic issues.
Under the Basic Law, Hong Kong was guaranteed a high level of autonomy after the return to Chinese rule in 1997. But the Communist Party is not keen on fully fledged democracy on Chinese-run soil and has ruled out direct elections in next year's vote for the chief executive and for the 2008 Legislative Council (Legco) election.
There was speculation Ms Chan would throw her name in the ring to become chief executive.
"Wait and see," she said, acknowledging that anyone going for the post needs Beijing's backing. "My purpose is to try and draw the different forces of the community together. We need to build up some trust."
While her chances of becoming chief executive are viewed as slim, her supporters believe a good showing in the polls will force chief executive Donald Tsang to take a stand on universal suffrage.
Mr Tsang's ratings recently hit their lowest level since he succeeded Tung Chee-hwa as chief executive in March last year. But so far no one has gained from his falling popularity.
As it stands, the chief executive is picked by a committee of 800 electors who largely back Beijing, while only half of Legco's 60 members are elected. This suits the powerful business lobby, which holds sway in the free-market territory of Hong Kong, where even the top government figure is known as a chief executive. They say democracy is bad for trade and might anger the central leadership.
But calls for increased democracy are growing and polls show most Hong Kong residents favour universal suffrage. In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong people have taken to the streets to call for more democracy. The marches embarrassed Beijing and forced the central government to replace the unpopular Tung Chee-hwa with Mr Tsang.
Regina Ip's transformation has been staggering. The former hardliner stepped down as security chief nine days after the withdrawal of controversial security laws in 2003.
Now she has finished her political studies at Princeton and is back with a talk show - Regina Ip's Blog - and a new think tank, the Savantas Policy Institute.
She talks of the need to build infrastructure and to have strong political parties and talented politicians to build a democracy.
Will Ms Ip stand in the 2008 Legco election, form her own party or go for chief executive in 2012? Tongues are wagging.
Democracy and universal suffrage are popular subjects in Hong Kong. People enjoy the cut and thrust of debate and the breath of fresh air that the return of Ms Chan and Ms Ip have brought to the political stage.
Liberal Party chairman James Tien, who was one of the first guests on Ms Ip's chat show, said he was happy to see the women back.
"Their return is welcome: it is always good to see old friends invigorate and enliven our sometimes stale political scene. It doesn't matter how much of a makeover they may have had in terms of changing their perspectives and altering their points of view in the intervening years," he said.
But while everyone enjoys the revived interest in the political scene, it has to be seen to go somewhere, and not for debate to be an end in itself. "It is important for us all that Ms Chan and Ms Ip state their intentions clearly and their policies in detail, if their re-emergence is to serve any objective other than to spread confusion and uncertainty," said Mr Tien.