Beijing loyalist John Lee elected as Hong Kong’s subsequent chief

John Lee was elected as Hong Kong’s subsequent chief on Sunday, after profitable over 99% of votes solid by a largely pro-Beijing election committee.

Lee acquired 1,416 votes within the chief government election, far exceeding the 751 votes he wanted to win. The Election Committee’s almost 1,500 members solid their votes in a secret poll Sunday morning.

As the one candidate within the polls, Lee was anticipated to win, particularly since he had Beijing’s endorsement and final month obtained 786 nominations from members of the Election Committee in assist of his candidacy.

Lee will substitute present chief Carrie Lam on July 1.

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Lam congratulated Lee in a press release and stated she would submit the election outcomes to Beijing.

“The present-term government and I will ensure a seamless transition with the Chief Executive-elect. We will render all the support needed for the assumption of office by the new term of government,” Lam’s assertion stated.

The election adopted main modifications to Hong Kong’s electoral legal guidelines final 12 months to make sure that solely “patriots” loyal to Beijing can maintain workplace. The legislature was additionally reorganized to all however remove opposition voices.

The elaborate preparations surrounding the pre-determined end result converse to Beijing’s want for a veneer of democracy. Though they voted in a secret poll, Hong Kong’s electors have been all fastidiously vetted.

Mainland China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council additionally congratulated Lee in a press release, saying the “successful election” proved that the town’s new electoral system is “good” and according to the “one country, two systems” framework that Hong Kong is ruled by.

The assertion added that the brand new chief government will lead the Hong Kong authorities and “people from all walks of life to forge ahead in unity.”

The British handed Hong Kong over to mainland China in 1997 underneath the “one country, two systems” framework, which promised the town sure freedoms not discovered on the mainland, together with freedom of speech and meeting.

Critics say these freedoms are being eroded as Beijing has exerted higher management over the previous British colony in recent times.

On Sunday morning, three members of the League of Social Democrats, an area activist group, protested the election by making an attempt to march towards the election venue whereas displaying a banner demanding common suffrage that might enable Hong Kongers to vote each for the legislature and the chief government.

“Human rights over power, the people are greater than the country,” the banner learn. “One person, one vote for the chief executive. Immediately implement dual universal suffrage.”

One protester was handing out flyers earlier than police arrived and cordoned off the protesters and the banner. Police additionally searched protesters’ belongings and took down their private particulars, although no arrests have been instantly made.

The pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong has lengthy demanded common suffrage, which they are saying is promised to the town in its mini-constitution, the Basic Law. It was additionally a key demand within the 2014 Umbrella Revolution protests and 2019 anti-government demonstrations.

Lee’s function as Hong Kong’s subsequent chief has sparked concern that Beijing might additional tighten its grip on Hong Kong. He spent most of his civil service profession within the police and safety bureau, and is an outspoken and staunch supporter of a nationwide safety regulation imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 geared toward stamping out dissent.

His rise grew out of huge anti-government protests in 2019 that spiraled into violent clashes. As safety secretary, he oversaw the police marketing campaign to confront protesters with tear gasoline and rubber bullets, then rounded lots of them up for arrest later.

More than 150 folks have been arrested underneath the safety regulation, which outlaws secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with overseas forces to intervene within the metropolis’s affairs. Almost all outstanding pro-democracy activists have been jailed, with others fleeing overseas or being intimidated into silence.

Thousands of residents have left the town of seven.4 million folks amid the 2019 protests and subsequent harsh pandemic restrictions, together with many professionals and expatriates.

In his election marketing campaign within the weeks main as much as Sunday’s polls, Lee pledged to enact long-shelved native laws to guard in opposition to safety threats and vowed to extend housing provide on the planet’s costliest actual property market.

He additionally stated he would enhance the town’s competitiveness and set a agency basis for Hong Kong’s improvement.

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