Beijing loyalist Lee elected Hong Kong's Chief Executive

Hong Kong, May 8

John Lee, a hard-line security chief who oversaw a crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, was elected next Chief Executive on Sunday in a vote cast by a largely pro-Beijing committee.

Rubber-stamp election

• Lee was the only candidate and won with over 99 per cent of the vote in which nearly all 1,500 committee members were carefully vetted by the central government in Beijing
• The election followed major changes to Hong Kong’s electoral laws last year to ensure that only “patriots” loyal to Beijing can hold office
• The elaborate arrangements surrounding the predetermined outcome speak of Beijing’s desire for a veneer of democracy

He will replace current leader Carrie Lam on July 1. Her five-term was marked by huge pro-democracy protests calling for her resignation, a security crackdown that has quashed virtually all dissent, the recent Covid wave that had overwhelmed the health system – events that have undermined Hong Kong’s reputation as an international business hub with Western-style freedoms.

“I look forward to starting a new chapter together, building a Hong Kong that is caring, open and vibrant, and a Hong Kong that is full of opportunities and harmony,” Lee said in his victory speech.

The committee members voted in a secret ballot, and Lee’s 1,416 votes were the highest support ever for the city’s top leadership position.

Without opposition, Lee would likely have easier time governing Hong Kong compared to Lam, said Ivan Choy, a senior lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Department of Government and Public Administration.

“A major reason for easier governance is that the electoral system has changed,” he said. European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Lee’s election “violates democratic principles and political pluralism in Hong Kong”.

“Selection process is yet another step in the dismantling of the one country, two systems’ principle,” Borrell tweeted. The Chinese government’s liaison office in Hong Kong congratulated Lee and said the election was conducted in a “fair, just and orderly manner in accordance with laws and regulations”. — AP