Carrie Lam skirts contentious issues with ‘half manifesto for the middle class’
Depoliticised offering was in stark contrast to key rival John Tsang Chun-wah, who tackled the big questions in his 73-page manifesto
If anyone was looking for answers to contentious political issues from Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, she refused to take the bait. Instead, the leading chief executive contender deflected politics and focused on bread-and-butter issues at her much-awaited press conference yesterday.
She credited this to feedback received from the 30 or so nominating subsectors. And instead of unveiling a full platform, she offered ideas on housing, education and taxation – with the middle-class very much on her agenda.
Her depoliticised half manifesto was in stark contrast to key rival John Tsang Chun-wah, who grasped by the nettle the big questions in his 73-page manifesto.
He tackled upfront the implementation of “one country, two systems”, the city’s stalled political reform and the local legislation of a controversial national security law – all viewed as calculated moves to win over the pro-democracy and pro- Beijing blocs respectively.
In her plans, Lam offered to “rebuild the ladder for home buying” by introducing a new layer of affordable housing targeted at middle-class and first-time buyers.