Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam speaking in January. Image: Alamy Stock Photo Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam speaking in January. Image: Alamy Stock Photo HONG KONG’S LEADER Carrie Lam has announced that she will step down in June, ending a divisive term that saw democracy protests squashed and strict pandemic curbs plunge the business hub into international isolation.
Lam said China’s leaders “understood and respected” her choice not to seek another term and that she wanted to spend more time with her family. Kenneth Chan, a political scientist at Baptist University, said Hong Kong leaders have always suffered from a “chronic legitimacy crisis” because they are not popularly elected.“Not merely among the pro-democracy citizens but also increasingly among the pro-Beijing camp as she has done such a terrible job with the pandemic,” he told AFP.
Hong Kong’s number-two official, John Lee, who has a background in the security services, has been tipped by local press as the most likely contender.Lam’s successor will take office on 1 July, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover by Britain to China. Lam became the first Hong Kong leader to be sanctioned by the United States, because of her support for the crackdown, which has seen most of the city’s prominent democracy supporters arrested, jailed or flee overseas.
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