Carrie Lam’s first year a positive change but more must be done
Elected as chief executive last year with the campaign slogan ‘We Connect’, Lam has arguably made good progress, especially against the backdrop of the turbulence the city has gone through in recent years. But now she must show she can rise to meet a greater challenge
Against the backdrop of turbulence the city has gone through in recent years, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s first year in office as chief executive is no doubt a positive turnaround for many Hongkongers.
The social atmosphere is relatively calmer and the new government has made a good start in tackling a wide range of deep-seated problems. Thanks to her rich administrative experience, governance has also become more efficient.
But for those who look for more concrete results, there is still much to be done.
Elected last year with the campaign slogan “We Connect”, Lam has arguably made good progress. The political tension built up over previous years has somewhat eased. There has been less confrontation in the legislature.
The bitter memories of constitutional reform and the 2014 Occupy protests have gradually faded away, but the political divide that arose still prevails. Unlike her predecessor who was busy tackling waves of political scandals in his first year, Lam was able to roll out her agenda smoothly until last December, when the new secretary for justice was embroiled in a series of scandals involving illegal structures at her properties.