Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says she won’t seek 2nd term

Hong Kong chief Carrie Lam, who survived huge protests in opposition to her authorities in 2019 and oversaw the implementation of a troublesome nationwide safety regulation that quashed dissent, mentioned Monday she won’t search a second time period.

Her successor shall be picked in Might.

“I’ll full my 5 12 months time period as chief government on the thirtieth of June this 12 months, and I may also name an finish to my 42 years of public service,” Lam mentioned at a information convention.

Hypothesis had swirled for months about whether or not she would search one other time period, however she mentioned that her resolution had been conveyed to the central authorities in Beijing final 12 months and was met with “respect and understanding.”

Huge protests in opposition to the territory’s authorities rocked Hong Kong in 2019 together with requires Lam to step down. Beijing responded in 2020 with a troublesome nationwide safety regulation that has stifled dissent within the semiautonomous Chinese language metropolis.

Hong Kong media say that her No. 2 John Lee is more likely to enter the race to succeed her. Chief Secretary Lee was the town’s head of safety in the course of the protests.

Hong Kong’s chief is elected by a committee made up of lawmakers, representatives of varied industries and professions, and pro-Beijing representatives comparable to Hong Kong deputies to the China’s legislature. One of many unfulfilled calls for of the 2019 protests was direct election of the town’s chief government.

Town was initially slated to carry the chief government election on March 27 however the ballot have been postponed for six weeks till Might 8 in gentle of the town’s worst coronavirus outbreak.

Lam mentioned that holding the polls as initially scheduled would pose “public well being dangers” even when a committee of just one,462 individuals is concerned.