‘Democracy with Hong Kong characteristics’: Beijing hails city’s ‘smooth’ leadership election
- In a 5,000-word article, the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office lauds election for its orderliness and commends John Lee as a good leader for city
- Political analyst says Beijing’s praise and statements of confidence reflect its high hopes for Lee, as well as its concerns about city amid global economic uncertainties
Analysts said the statements by the central government, breaking its silence after outgoing leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced more than a month ago that she would not seek re-election, were aimed at setting the tone for the city’s near future, as well as listing Beijing’s expectations for Lee’s administration.
In a 5,000-word article, the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office praised the election for its orderliness and commended Lee as a good leader for the city.
“The chief executive election was held smoothly today, and Lee was elected with a high number of votes. We congratulate him,” it said.
The poll was the third held since Beijing drastically overhauled Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure the city’s political power is firmly held by “patriots”. The first poll last September was for choosing members of the Election Committee, which is tasked with picking the city’s leader, and the second was for the legislature in December.
The office said Sunday’s election was a successful poll which demonstrated the merits of the overhauled system, as well as the new atmosphere created by it.
“The election campaign focused on development and people’s livelihood, and a strong positive force has been converged by it … The formulation of Lee’s manifesto was also a process of democratic consultation,” it said.