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Carrie Lam policy address 2020
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Chief Executive Carrie Lam at her second policy address in Legco last October. Photo: Felix Wong

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam’s policy address set for October 16, followed by withdrawal of extradition bill

  • All eyes will be on the chief executive’s third policy address, regarded as her chance to show commitment towards tackling city issues as protests rage
  • Secretary for Security John Lee will announce bill withdrawal after speech

Hong Kong’s embattled leader will hold her policy address on October 16, followed by an official withdrawal of the extradition bill, which has sparked nearly four months of protests and political turmoil in the city.

The date of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s third policy address was confirmed in a paper issued by the Legislative Council and circulated among lawmakers on Friday.

The new Legco session would resume on October 16, three months after protesters stormed the Legco building on July 1 and brought an early end to the previous round.

According to the Legco paper, Lam will present her annual policy blueprint at 11am on October 16.

Immediately after the speech, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu will make an announcement to withdraw the hated extradition bill, which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no such agreement, including mainland China.

On October 17, there will be a 90-minute session for lawmakers to raise questions to Lam on the policy address.

Lam announced on September 4 that the government would formally withdraw the bill in an attempt to quell the social unrest. According to the Legco Rules of Procedure, the announcement has to be made in a council meeting.

Hong Kong has seen nearly four months of anti-government turmoil sparked by the extradition bill. Photo: Sam Tsang

Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, expressed concerns that the meeting could not be smoothly resumed amid concerns protesters would again besiege the complex.

“There are lots of livelihood policies yet to be scrutinised in Legco … I hope radicals will not continue their violent acts,” Lee said.

The Democratic Party’s Ted Hui Chi-fung said chaos and protests were expected to erupt that day.

“I have doubts whether the meeting can be held. Protesters are expected to grasp the chance and press for their unaddressed calls,” he said. “Even if the meeting goes ahead, I think pan-democrats should launch protests inside the chamber.”

Five key takeaways from Lam’s 2018 policy address

But he said the camp has yet to discuss their tactics. The party chairman Wu Chi-wai added that Lam should address the demands of protesters; otherwise the policy address would be meaningless.

Unmet demands include setting up an inquiry into the police’s use of force and implementation of universal suffrage.

The Legco complex was trashed by protesters on the 22nd anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule. It was the first time Legco had been forcibly taken over by protesters, who broke more than 60 glass doors and panes, sprayed graffiti on walls, and damaged the complex’s fire prevention and security systems.

Protesters storm Legco, entering the chamber on July 1. Photo: Winson Wong

The secretariat recently told lawmakers that renovation work was mostly completed, but glass installations on the ground floor could only be replaced by next February.

Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen earlier said repairs would cost more than HK$40 million.

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Lam’s coming policy address, regarded as her chance to show her administration’s commitment to tackle deep-rooted issues in the city, with the ongoing political crisis showing no signs of abating.

Lam has said the policy address would float concrete proposals to address housing woes.

Additional reporting by Tony Cheung

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Date set for Lam’s policy address and official withdrawal of extradition bill
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