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Veteran lawmaker Ip Kwok-him (right) has replaced DAB chairwoman Starry Lee in Exco after the latter’s resignation. Photos: Nora Tam

DAB chairwoman Starry Lee resigns from Hong Kong Exco, succeeded by party colleague Ip Kwok-him

Head of city’s largest pro-Beijing party dismisses speculation that she quit to run in upcoming chief executive election

The head of Hong Kong’s largest pro-establishment party announced her resignation from Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s cabinet yesterday, dropping a bombshell with her timing at a critical juncture in the city’s political development.

Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, handed in her notice on Tuesday, nearly a year after announcing she would give up her Executive Council.

The seat vacated by the accountant-turned-politician was promptly filled by party colleague and veteran lawmaker Ip Kwok-him.

READ MORE: Starry Lee looks to put DAB in poll position with Executive Council resignation

Lee, 42, said yesterday that she wanted to focus on her work in the Legislative Council and her party.

Her departure from the top policymaking body was expected when she took the helm of the DAB last April, but it still caused a sensation among political circles because of the sensitive timing.

Among all the questions and speculation, some asked whether she was abandoning Leung’s administration amid the political and social turmoil in Hong Kong, including the recent Mong Kok riot.

A person familiar with the situation said Leung and the DAB had discussed the timing of her resignation for a few months.

“The government didn’t want Lee to quit before district council elections in November and last month’s Legco by-election for the New Territories East,” the person said.

“Both the government and DAB didn’t want to bring negative impact on the prospects of the pro-establishment camp in the two polls if she resigned at such an early stage.”

Leung expressed his gratitude to Lee for her contribution and advice on policy-making since joining Exco in July 2012.

Lee said she had been considering quitting Exco since she started heading the DAB last April, dismissing speculation about any plan to run in next year’s chief executive election.

Former DAB chairman Tam Yiu-chung said the decision had been long in the works and Lee had a lot on her plate.

READ MORE: Ip Kwok-him - Veteran Hong Kong lawmaker who overcame the doubts following reform vote debacle

Ip, 64, said he hoped to reflect public views and voices in Exco as a new member.

His appointment was mocked by lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung from the League of Social Democrats, who said the young were being replaced by the old. Lee took over the DAB’s chair from Tam as part of a drive to replace the old guard to energise the party.

“You have successfully disproved Darwin’s theory of evolution,” Leung said.

Ip has been a lawmaker for nearly two decades, from 1995 to 2004, and from 2008 to the present. He is currently the convenor of the DAB’s caucus of 13 lawmakers, and considered a “monitor” of the 43-strong pro-establishment camp in Legco.

Some had questioned whether Leung would still want to appoint Ip to Exco after last June, when he and his colleagues staged an embarrassing walkout seconds before a Beijing-decreed political reform package was voted down in Legco. Ip played a leading role in the fiasco.

New People’s Party lawmaker and executive councillor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said she respected Lee’s decision to resign as she understood the DAB lawmaker was too busy.

Her constituency is much bigger than mine. Her party is also bigger than mine, and her daughter is a lot younger than mine.
Lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee

Labour Party legislator Cyd Ho Sau-lan said she did not buy Lee’s explanation that her resignation was related to her DAB role as that had been decided quite some time ago.

READ MORE: The DAB treads a new path in electing Starry Lee as leader

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Starry Lee (front) and Ip Kwok-him in Legco. Photo: Nora Tam
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