Hong Kong chief Carrie Lam, who survived large protests in opposition to her authorities in 2019 and oversaw the implementation of a tricky nationwide safety legislation that quashed dissent, mentioned Monday she won’t search a second time period.
Her successor will probably be picked in Might.
“I’ll full my 5 yr time period as chief govt on the thirtieth of June this yr, and I may also name an finish to my 42 years of public service,” Lam mentioned at a information convention.
Hypothesis had swirled for months about whether or not she would search one other time period, however she mentioned that her determination had been conveyed to the central authorities in Beijing final yr and was met with “respect and understanding.”
Huge protests in opposition to the territory’s authorities rocked Hong Kong in 2019 together with requires Lam to step down. Beijing responded in 2020 with a tricky nationwide safety legislation that has stifled dissent within the semiautonomous Chinese language metropolis.
Hong Kong media say that her No. 2 John Lee is prone to enter the race to succeed her. Chief Secretary Lee was the town’s head of safety through the protests.
Hong Kong’s chief is elected by a committee made up of lawmakers, representatives of varied industries and professions, and pro-Beijing representatives similar to Hong Kong deputies to the China’s legislature. One of many unfulfilled calls for of the 2019 protests was direct election of the town’s chief govt.
Town was initially slated to carry the chief govt election on March 27 however the ballot have been postponed for six weeks till Might 8 in gentle of the town’s worst coronavirus outbreak.
Lam mentioned that holding the polls as initially scheduled would pose “public well being dangers” even when a committee of only one,462 folks is concerned.
