Former safety chief who led pro-democracy crackdown anointed Hong Kong’s new chief

His elevation locations a safety official within the high job for the primary time after a tumultuous few years for a metropolis battered by political unrest and debilitating pandemic controls.

Regardless of town’s mini-constitution promising common suffrage, Hong Kong has by no means been a democracy, the supply of years of public frustration and protests because the 1997 handover to China.

Its chief is as a substitute chosen by an “election committee” presently comprised of 1,461 individuals – roughly 0.02 per cent of town’s inhabitants.

After a short secret poll on Sunday, 1,416 members voted for Mr Lee whereas eight voted in opposition to in accordance with officers. The remaining didn’t forged ballots.

Former Hong Kong chief secretary John Lee, 64, was the one candidate in a Beijing-backed one-horse race to succeed outgoing chief Carrie Lam. Supply: AAP / JEROME FAVRE/EPA

“I declare that the one candidate Mr John Lee Ka-chiu is returned within the above-mentioned election, congratulations,” returning officer Justice Keith Yeung Kar-hung, introduced.

Heavy police presence

Protests have been largely outlawed in Hong Kong, with authorities utilizing an anti-coronavirus ban on public gatherings of greater than 4 individuals in addition to a brand new nationwide safety regulation.

Police ringed the exhibition centre with safety, and 6,000 to 7,000 officers had been positioned on standby, in accordance with native media.

The League of Social Democrats – one of many solely remaining pro-democracy teams – held a three-person protest earlier than polls opened, chanting “Energy to the individuals, common suffrage now”.

“That is what John Lee’s new chapter appears like, a shrinking of our civil liberties,” stated protester Vanessa Chan as dozens of cops appeared on.

“We all know this motion could have no impact, however we do not need Hong Kong to be utterly silent,” she added.

Below President Xi Jinping, China is remoulding Hong Kong in its personal authoritarian picture after enormous and typically violent democracy protests three years in the past.

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Beijing deployed a sweeping safety regulation to stamp out dissent and rolled out a brand new “patriots solely” political system for Hong Kong to ensure anybody standing for workplace is taken into account suitably loyal.

A troubled metropolis

Whereas the democracy motion has been crushed, a lot of the inhabitants nonetheless resents Beijing’s rule and chafes on the metropolis’s entrenched inequality.

Hong Kong additionally faces financial difficulties thanks to 2 years of strict pandemic curbs which have broken its enterprise hub popularity and left residents lower off as rivals re-open.

Below the slogan “Beginning a brand new chapter for Hong Kong collectively”, Mr Lee has vowed to usher in “result-oriented” governance, forge unity and reboot town’s economic system.

A 44-page manifesto he launched final week caught to broad objectives and provided few concrete insurance policies or targets.

Mr Lee stated he’ll unveil extra particulars when he makes his first coverage deal with.

Hong Kong’s chief executives discover themselves caught between the democratic aspirations of town’s residents and the authoritarian calls for of Beijing’s leaders.

Outgoing chief Carrie Lam is on monitor to depart workplace with record-low approval rankings.

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In accordance with a survey in March by the Public Opinion Analysis Institute, about 24 per cent of the general public has confidence in Mr Lee, in contrast with 12 per cent for Ms Lam.

Ready in a line exterior a restaurant on Sunday, 25-year-old resident Alex Tam stated he and his mates have been paying little consideration to proceedings.

“It is simply an empty gesture,” he advised AFP. “If he did not hearken to the protesters, I do not see how he would hearken to younger individuals now, particularly those that criticise the federal government.”

Retired businessman Yeung Wing-Shun was extra constructive saying he hoped Mr Lee will information Hong Kong with a “agency hand”, including that he believed the brand new chief may carry totally different sectors collectively.

Mr Lee will take workplace on July 1, the twenty fifth anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China from Britain.

China agreed that Hong Kong may preserve sure freedoms and autonomy for 50 years after retaking management from Britain below a “One Nation, Two Programs” components.

Beijing and Lee say that components continues to be intact.

Critics, together with many Western powers, say it has been shredded.

Mr Lee is one in all 11 senior Hong Kong and Beijing officers sanctioned by america due to the political state of affairs.