Opinion | Time for ‘result-oriented’ John Lee to start work on Hong Kong’s problems

The parade lap of the chief executive race went by just like that, and now here we are at the starting line. The tyres are warm, but there’s just one engine revving.

For months, others were doing their formation laps. The more they worked the track, the more challenging it was for people to take them seriously. Among them were businessman Titus Wu Sai-chuen and film producer martial artist Checkley Sin Kwok-lam, but there was just not enough traction without a serious contender.

Five years ago, when Hong Kong was in search of a new chief executive, then financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah tendered his resignation. He waited for more than a month for it to be approved so he could formally begin his leadership run.

It took John Lee Ka-chiu mere days to hand in his resignation. He populated an election campaign office with political heavyweights from every major pro-establishment faction, met Election Committee members, secured 786 nominations – more than half of the Election Committee’s membership – when all he needed were 188, with no fewer than 15 nominations from the five Election Committee sectors. After turning in his nominations, he became the sole official candidate.

Lee was not kidding when he described his leadership style as “result-oriented”. All but three of the 90 Legislative Council members nominated him, so he has secured an openly supportive legislature even before he has come up with an election manifesto.