Carrie Lam’s Hong Kong policy address is one more reason she must step down

Having read the chief executive’s policy address, I can only conclude that the Hong Kong government is now directionless. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is only using the city coffers to redeem her sins. She has been in government for decades as a high-ranking official. What she proposed in the address could have been done years ago. I also fear that the relaxation of mortgage rates may raise property prices when she should be trying to do just the opposite.

And that would be ironic, what with the property prices now going down slowly as a result of the unrest. Does it mean that we should praise the protesters/rioters for this, as the government is unable to rein in the market?

Lam dares not be heavy-handed on protesters, given the fact that she has done something wrong in the first place. What is hilarious is that she is now trying to put the blame on others, namely her cabinet, as she has said that she might reshuffle it when the unrest dies down.

Indeed, she should step down from her post as chief executive to be accountable for what she has done. She appears hopeless in the face of the chaos, lacking accountability and appearing like a headless chicken. The Politburo was wrong to choose her.

Ringo Yee, Tuen Mun

It’s time to look beyond Carrie Lam for solutions

Ever since Chief Executive Carrie Lam came to office, it has been her mission to bring greater harmony to Hong Kong. It has to be acknowledged that this has been a difficult job, given the nature of political alliances within the Legislative Council and the way its members gain office. As has been seen in the extradition bill fiasco, Mrs Lam has also sometimes taken poor advice, and failed to read the prevailing political climate.

It seemed like déjà vu when, late on the afternoon of Friday, October 4, all schools in Hong Kong relayed information to their students, as requested by the authorities, about the mask ban being imposed by decree by the chief executive.

This move – coming as schools are being blamed for politicising students – taught every youngster what it meant to lose their personal freedom. While Mrs Lam claims her intention was to bring calm to the special administrative region, yet again we can see she has taken the path of suppression and denial, giving in to pressure from her Legislative Council cronies.

The anger engendered by the mask ban, enacted under historical emergency legislation, is significant and won’t quickly go away. The city is reeling from successive weekends of civil disobedience. I doubt that Mrs Lam will wish to have another of her town hall dialogues with citizens. It’s well and truly time to find solutions in the protesters’ demands.

N. Pearson, Tsuen Wan