Regina Ip for Hong Kong chief executive? Veteran lawmaker ‘weighing Legco run and third bid for top job’
- Hard for Ip to decide, as elections for Legco and chief executive post only months apart, insiders say
- Former security chief tried in 2012 and 2017, but did not get Election Committee nod for leadership race
Sources said the timing of elections for Legco and the city’s leadership – just three months apart – had made it difficult for her to decide whether to try a third time for the top job.
Insiders said Ip, 71, initially thought it would be logical to step down as a lawmaker and focus on the leadership race.
But she also had to consider whether she would receive Beijing’s blessing to run for the city’s top post and whether a Legco campaign without her would be in the best interests of the New People’s Party, which she founded and has led since 2011.
A senior party member argued it would be in Hong Kong’s interest for her to seek re-election to Legco this year and step down only if she contested and won the chief executive race.
The member said many believed Ip’s stature, as a former official and seasoned lawmaker, was among the strongest in Legco, and it was in the people’s best interests for her to run again.
The insider added that the party would finalise its Legco election line-up on Monday and announce it later in the week.
Regina Ip ‘squeezed out’ of chief executive race
Another party member said if Beijing did not give Ip the green light to run in the leadership race, she would seek re-election to Legco then mull a possible run for chief executive anyway.
Ip joined the Hong Kong government in 1975 and rose to become security chief from 1998 to 2003.
She has been a lawmaker since 2008. She is one of two lawmakers from her party in the 70-strong Legco, the other being Eunice Yung Hoi-yan, who was elected in 2016.
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Lawmakers and officials do not have to step down before entering the leadership race, and Ip did not resign from Legco when she made her unsuccessful bids for chief executive in the past two elections.
But one veteran pro-establishment politician said it might be “politically unethical” for Ip to contest the Legco election, only to step down within months to run for city leader.
“Triggering a by-election simply because of one’s own political ambitions doesn’t seem the right thing to do”, the politician said.
Ip’s senior party colleague disagreed, however, saying: “Ip has been a popular lawmaker. If she resigns to fight for a high position to serve Hong Kong, and that triggers a by-election, it’s politically ethical.”
Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said it would be “sensible” for Ip to seek re-election to Legco.
“Beijing might prefer only one chief executive candidate to avoid political disputes. If she eventually wins Beijing’s blessing, she could simply resign and run. It won’t cost much for the government to hold a by-election,” he said.
The powerful Election Committee, expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members, will fill 40 seats in the next Legco, and the remaining 30 seats will go to functional constituencies for mostly trade-based groups.
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Lau said he could understand why some experienced political figures might find it less appealing now to continue as lawmakers.
“Beijing has reiterated that Hong Kong should have a strong executive-led government. Lawmakers’ roles are more limited to supporting and cooperating with the administration, and connecting with the masses,” he said.
“If I were a party leader, I would rather nurture members with political talent to take up different political paths that are now available.”
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These opportunities include joining the government as political appointees, sitting on advisory or statutory bodies, or joining various community-level committees.
Lau believed it would be good if Ip continued leading her 10-year-old party to help maintain its influence with Beijing.
A veteran pro-establishment politician noted that Ip’s party was previously supported by many civil servants and professionals, but these groups’ political sway had been diminished with the electoral overhaul.
Questioning the party’s strength and target voters, he pointed out that the new Election Committee also had members who were professionals qualified to be lawmakers.
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But a New People’s Party member said that at a recent internal meeting, Ip remained confident about its future, pointing out there were “lots of elites” in its ranks and they should step up if they wanted to contest a seat in the new Legco.
Sources said the party could field at least five candidates, including Eunice Yung and former district councillors Dominic Lee Tsz-king and Judy Chan Ka-pui.
They said Yung and Chan might try to get into Legco via the 40-strong Election Committee constituency, while Lee could be fielded in the New Territories Northeast geographical constituency.
Ip herself was likely to run in the Hong Kong Island West geographical constituency.
