Hong Kong politician Starry Lee to quit as leader of city’s largest party after 8 years, citing workload concerns

Starry Lee, who has been chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong for eight years, announces decision not to seek re-election
DAB vice-chairman Gary Chan Hak-kan, who also sits on the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, is widely tipped to succeed Lee as party chief

Hong Kong politics

Ng Kang-chung

Published: 9:30am, 9 Aug 2023

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The chairwoman of Hong Kong’s largest political party has announced that she is stepping down, citing concerns about workload.

Lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king, who has led the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) for eight years, revealed her decision in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

“With limited time and limited work capability, I am starting to realise that it may not be conducive to the development of the party [if I continue],” Lee, 49, said.

“After careful consideration, I have decided not to run for election as DAB chairman.

“I am pleased to see that there is much talent in the party and I am certain that the future chairman will be more successful.”

Starry Lee becomes sole Hong Kong member of nation’s top legislative body

Lee succeeded party veteran Tam Yiu-chung as the city’s sole delegate to the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China’s top legislative body, in March, becoming the youngest Hong Kong member yet in the role. Since then, all eyes were on whether she would step down from the party leadership.

The party was expected to decide on a new leadership line-up in mid- or late September.

Political affairs observer Professor Lau Siu-kai said: “Lee probably would not like to give the public impression that her work and policies at the DAB could be influenced by her role as an NPC standing committee member.”

Another veteran political commentator Sonny Lo Shiu-hing told the Post that Lee’s stepping down was “a move for leadership succession” because there had been voices inside the party asking her to do so since she was appointed to the apex body of the national legislature in March.

Changing of the guard as 21 new members elected to Hong Kong’s NPC delegation

With more than 51,000 members, the DAB is arguably the biggest political party in Hong Kong. It has 19 seats in the Legislative Council and 21 district councillors.

Including Lee, the party has seven members on the NPC. Nine DAB members are delegates to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body.

Lee said she would like to spend more time on work related to the country.

In her Facebook message, she said: “In the coming days, I shall certainly make more effort to work for the country and Hong Kong, and serve my countrymen and Hong Kong people.”

In Legco, Lee represents the Kowloon Central constituency. She is also a Kowloon City district councillor but earlier indicated that she would not seek another term after having served on the council for about 20 years.

Starry Lee and DAB members hold a rally ahead of district council elections in 2019. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

DAB vice-chairman Gary Chan Hak-kan, who also sits on the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, is widely tipped to succeed Lee as party chief.

When contacted by the Post, Chan only expressed gratitude for Lee’s contribution to the party but stopped short of revealing whether he would run for the chairmanship in September.

Commentator Lo, however, said it was “highly possible” Brave Chan Yung, one of the DAB’s four vice-chairmen, would become the next party leader, given he exceeds his three fellows in “political seniority and correctness, representativeness, leadership and networking”.

The party currently ranks Brave Chan first among its four vice-chairman, while Gary Chan holds second spot.

A party insider said the former had less chance of replacing Lee since he was already president of the New Territories Association of Societies, a pro-Beijing alliance of community organisations.

An accountant by profession, Lee became the DAB’s first female leader in 2015, succeeding Tam.

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She grew up in a low-income family in Choi Hung and started her political career at the age of 25. Lee first stood for election in 1999 as an independent, winning a seat on the Kowloon City district council and becoming the youngest female councillor. She was re-elected in 2003.

The following year, she was among a group recruited by DAB veteran Jasper Tsang Yok-sing as the party pushed to broaden its reach to the middle class and professionals.

Lee then contested a Legco election for the first time in 2004 but was unsuccessful. She tried again in 2008 and won a seat in the Kowloon West constituency.

At the time, she often used her communication skills to raise her profile. As many DAB lawmakers’ command of English was weak, Lee would often speak on the party’s behalf when responding to questions from the English-language media.

Beijing appointed her as a CPPCC delegate in 2018 and she was elected as a Hong Kong deputy to the NPC in 2022.