Make Sure Not To Run For Election For Second Term, Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam: It's Time For Me To Go Home, Focus On Family

JAKARTA - Carrie Lam, the leader who managed to 'capture' Hong Kong through the unprecedented upheaval of anti-government protests and COVID-19, confirmed she would not be running for a second five-year term on Monday.

Lam's announcement came as the media said Chief Secretary, John Lee, Hong Kong's second most senior official, would step down to join the race to replace Lam in May, as the Chinese-ruled city's next leader.

"There is only one consideration and that is family. I have told everyone beforehand, family is my priority", Lam said at a regular news conference.

"They thought it was time for me to go home", Lam continued.

She declined to comment on possible candidates to replace her, saying she had not yet decided on her plans.

Born in British-occupied Hong Kong in 1957, Lam served as a civil servant and described herself as a devout Catholic. He took office in 2017, pledging to unite a city that increasingly resents Beijing's tightening grip.

Two years later, millions of democracy supporters took to the streets in sometimes violent anti-government protests. The unrest led to Beijing enacting a national security law in June 2020, giving it more power than ever to shape life in Hong Kong.

An irritated Lam said at the height of the unrest in 2019, if he had a choice, he would quit, adding in his address to a group of businessmen, the chief executive "must serve two masters under the constitution, namely the central government and the people of Hong Kong.

"The political space for maneuver is very, very, very limited", she added, according to an audio recording of her comments obtained by Reuters.

Lam said on Monday she had proposed a government restructuring to mainland authorities, which would include a new police department. However, she left it to the leader of her successors, to decide whether to continue with the plan or not.

The Hong Kong leader is chosen by a small electoral committee made up of Beijing loyalists. So whoever becomes the next leader of the former British colony will do so with Beijing's tacit approval.

Meanwhile, Lee, 64, a security official during the prolonged and often violent 2019 pro-democracy protests, was promoted in 2021 in a move that some analysts said signaled Beijing's new focus on security rather than the economy. Lee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Other competitors who may be mentioned in the media include finance minister Paul Chan, as well as former leader Leung Chun-ying. No one has announced an offer yet.

Hong Kong itself returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997 with guarantees of broad freedoms, including an independent judiciary and the right to assemble in public, for at least 50 years.

The United States sanctioned Lam and Lee, among other officials in 2020, saying they had undermined Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy from Beijing, curtailing political freedoms with national security laws that punish offenses such as subversion and secession, with prison terms. lifetime.

However, Chinese and Hong Kong authorities deny that individual rights are being eroded, saying security legislation is needed to restore the stability needed for economic success after prolonged unrest.

To note, the Hong Kong Leader election was postponed from March to May 8, to give the government time to fight the COVID outbreak which has infected more than one million Hong Kong residents. Lam's term ends on June 30.

Since Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule, it has been led by four chief executives, all of whom struggle to balance the democratic and liberal aspirations of many of the population, with the leadership vision of the Chinese Communist Party.