Likely Hong Kong chief executive candidate Regina Ip welcomes competition from Carrie Lam
Chief secretary said she would reconsider whether to run for top job in wake of Leung Chun-ying’s announcement that he would not seek second term
Lawmaker and former security secretary Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who is set to announce her candidacy in the race for chief executive later this week, says she welcomes competition from Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.
“After Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying announced that he was not seeking re-election, I have become the target [of criticism],” Ip said on Saturday.
“Many people on the internet criticised me as the female version of 689 [ Leung’s unflattering nickname referring to the number of votes he received in the 2012 chief executive election]. There are even doctored pictures of me and Leung Chun-ying.”
“I welcome more people entering the race to ensure fair competition,” she said.
After Lam’s latest announcement, there were also doctored pictures of Lam and Leung circulating on the internet.