Hong Kong chief executive’s dignity must be earned rather than defended after extradition bill row
- Sources have hinted that the ‘steel lady’ will not ‘die’, but Carrie Lam still has to regain the public’s trust
- Monday’s annual July 1 rally will be watershed moment for government as it decides what to do next
“To go away is easy, to stay is much harder,” Hong Kong’s first post-handover leader, Tung Chee-hwa, famously said after half a million people took to the streets against his government’s national security bill in 2003.
It could well apply to embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor now, but those who imagine she must be grappling with the question of whether to quit or soldier on may be surprised, disappointed or even angered to realise she is not considering it.
After remaining invisible for more than 10 days since her June 18 apology for mishandling the now-suspended fugitive transfer bill, Lam is making her first public appearance on Monday to host the annual July 1 ceremony celebrating the city’s return to China in 1997.
Various “sources”, many from the business sector, are now being quoted in the media as “leaking” one message these days: the “steel lady” is not going to “die”.
Although she once verbally offered to step down, Beijing understandably asked her to stay on, assuring her of the central government’s support.
Lam may be using a “one step back for a bigger step forward” strategy that only she would be able to confirm, but other “sources” have also been cited as revealing that she never formally tendered any resignation to Beijing, and the word “defeat” does not match with her personality.
The inside story of Lam’s bid to push through extradition bill
Whatever the terminological difference between a written and a verbal expression of intent may mean in politics, the reality at this stage is clear: there is no sign of Lam walking away from her job. And backing her seems to be the only option for Beijing.
So what kind of situation is this?
The city’s leader has been on retreat, or, according to people close to her, in “deep reflection” mode until now, although she has held a few closed-door meetings with representatives from different sectors, in particular with police unions.
Is Monday’s handover anniversary celebration a symbolic event she has no excuse to avoid, or one that she can use to make her debut in returning to the public eye?
What puzzled people over the past week was that only her senior officials were seen in public brushing aside speculation the government was no longer functioning in the face of mass protests against the bill.
The government had no one to blame but itself, with Lam cancelling public events and the city’s top policymaking body, the Executive Council, holding no meetings for two consecutive weeks.
Cheung promises ‘humble and patient’ approach with city’s youth
There could be good reason for Lam to keep a low profile out of strategic considerations – the government does not want to provoke more protesters into marching on the streets, since it has no plan to concede to their major demands, including a complete withdrawal rather than suspension of the bill.
A high turnout is expected at the annual pro-democracy rally on Monday, which will also be a watershed for the government to decide what course of action it should take next.
One widely watched occasion could be the public consultation period for Lam’s third policy address, which would usually kick off three months ahead of its October delivery.
How can she reach out to the public, especially those angry and leaderless young protesters, to really understand their grievances before any practical policy can be worked out?
Lam reminded her aides and allies recently that for the sake of maintaining proper governance, the dignity of the chief executive must be defended.
But this dignity cannot be taken for granted through defence alone; it has to be earned by regaining the trust of the public, no matter how tough that may be, since Lam has chosen the difficult option to stay.
