Hong Kong’s chief executive officer, Carrie Lam, announced on Monday that she has no intention of running for a new term. The announcement came during an interview with the press carried by international agencies.
Carrie Lam is about to end a five-year term, which will be marked not only by the COVID-19 pandemic but also by the growing isolation of this financial hub. According to the information in the briefing, Lam will have sent this signal that he does not intend to run for a second term to the Beijing authorities, for more than a year.
“This is a matter of my personal will and aspirations,” he explained, noting that these two issues were based on “family considerations.” “That’s what I told the central government. They expressed their understanding,” he was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.
According to data from the Hong Kong Institute for Public Opinion, the veteran bureaucrat has been the least popular leader since Britain handed control of Hong Kong to China in 1997.
Carrie Lam’s successor will take office on July 1. Those interested in taking on these roles now have two weeks to prepare to compete in the May 8 elections. The Hong Kong leader declined to comment on reports that her second-in-command, John Lee, is preparing to run, noting that she has not yet received the mandatory notice when government officials intend to run for higher office.
In addition to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carrie Lam’s tenure will also be marked by the unpopular decision to introduce a motion that would allow criminal suspects to be sent to China. In 2019, this was the reason for the biggest street protests ever in Hong Kong.
Carrie Lam’s predecessor, Leung Chung-ying, also chose not to run for a second term, given growing discontent in Hong Kong.
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