OpinionChief executive election 2022: new sense of certainty means Hong Kong can finally get on with things

Name: Hong Kong’s No 2 official John Lee declares bid to become city’s next leader
Uploaded: 2022-04-10T22:45:22.000Z
Duration: 1 min 9 s
Description: Hong Kong’s No 2 official John Lee declares bid to become city’s next leader

With John Lee the only candidate backed by Beijing, doors are opening for him and everything is falling into place quickly and seamlessly

Carrie Lam is now free to concentrate on the vital task of reopening the city, a job she is well suited to

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John Lee meets the media at Central Plaza in Wan Chai on April 8. Photo: Dickson Lee

Alice Wu

Published: 6:45am, 11 Apr 2022

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told us earlier this month, rather cryptically it seemed at the time, that she expected matters to “become clearer” in time with regard to who would put themselves forward to run in the chief executive election.

In fact, that was a very accurate description of what has transpired in Hong Kong’s political scene over the past few days. Everything is falling into place so quickly and seamlessly that it seems like we are watching a film on fast-forward.

Last Monday, Lam announced her decision not to seek a second term. Then “sources” revealed that Lam’s No 2, John Lee Ka-chiu, would be running as the sole candidate, and would be tendering his resignation.

Next, Election Committee members, tasked with being the gatekeepers and picking the most patriotic candidate of all, were called to the liaison office to be told essentially that only one candidate would be blessed by Beijing. And then, as if by magic, a campaign team began to take shape for Lee.

Political veterans, property tycoons and prominent business leaders have issued more than just statements of support, too. Lee even appears to have got Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s sole representative on the National People’s Congress, to head his election campaign office.

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Hong Kong’s No 2 official John Lee declares bid to become city’s next leader

Sino Group vice-chairman and real estate developer Daryl Ng Win-kong, former Legislative Council secretary general Pauline Ng Man-wah and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference delegate Eliza Chan Ching-har have joined the campaign as his election expense agents – all three had top roles in Lam’s election campaign in 2017.