Sole candidate for Hong Kong leadership faces election he’s widely expected to win – National

A Hong Kong election committee is voting Sunday for the town’s solely management candidate, John Lee, who’s extensively anticipated to win and turn into Hong Kong’s subsequent chief government.

The committee, comprised of practically 1,500 largely pro-Beijing members, is voting in a secret poll that may final 2 1/2 hours. Lee wants greater than 750 votes to win the election.

As the one candidate within the polls, Lee is predicted to win simply, particularly since he has Beijing’s endorsement and final month obtained 786 nominations from members of the Election Committee in help of his candidacy.

The election on Sunday follows main modifications to Hong Kong’s electoral legal guidelines final yr to make sure that solely “patriots” loyal to Beijing can maintain workplace. The legislature was additionally reorganized to all however get rid of opposition voices.

The flowery preparations surrounding the pre-determined consequence communicate to Beijing’s need for a veneer of democracy. Although they are going to vote in a secret poll, Hong Kong’s electors have all been rigorously vetted.

On Sunday morning, three members of the League of Social Democrats, an area activist group, protested the election by making an attempt to march towards the election venue whereas displaying a banner demanding common suffrage that might enable Hong Kongers to vote each for the legislature and the chief government.

“Human rights over energy, the individuals are better than the nation,” the banner learn. “One particular person, one vote for the chief government. Instantly implement twin common suffrage.”

One protester was handing out flyers earlier than police arrived and cordoned off the protesters and the banner. Police additionally searched protesters’ belongings and took down their private particulars, although no arrests have been instantly made.

The professional-democracy camp in Hong Kong has lengthy demanded common suffrage, which they are saying is promised to the town in its mini-constitution, the Fundamental Regulation. It was additionally a key demand within the 2014 Umbrella Revolution protests and 2019 anti-government demonstrations.

Lee as Hong Kong’s future chief has sparked concern that Beijing may additional tighten its grip on Hong Kong. He spent most of his civil service profession within the police and safety bureau, and is an outspoken and staunch supporter of a nationwide safety legislation imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 aimed toward stamping out dissent.

His rise grew out of large anti-government protests in 2019 that spiraled into violent clashes. As safety secretary, he oversaw the police marketing campaign to confront protesters with tear gasoline and rubber bullets, then rounded lots of them up for arrest later.

Greater than 150 individuals have been arrested underneath the safety legislation, which outlaws secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with international forces to intervene within the metropolis’s affairs. Nearly all outstanding pro-democracy activists have been jailed, with others fleeing overseas or being intimidated into silence.

Hundreds of residents have left the town of seven.4 million individuals amid the 2019 protests and subsequent harsh pandemic restrictions, together with many professionals and expatriates.

In his election marketing campaign within the weeks main as much as Sunday’s polls, Lee pledged to enact long-shelved native laws to guard towards safety threats and vowed to extend housing provide on the earth’s most costly actual property market.

He additionally mentioned he would enhance the town’s competitiveness and set a agency basis for Hong Kong’s improvement.

If elected, Lee will change present chief Carrie Lam on July 1.