Former security chief John Lee, who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, was named the city’s new leader on Sunday by a small committee of Beijing supporters. The 64-year-old ex-cop was the only candidate to replace CEO Carrie Lam, who decided not to run for a new five-year term.
This is the first time a security official has taken the lead in the Hong Kong government. John Lee has earned the trust of officials in Beijing by resolutely enforcing the strict line imposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping on pro-democracy protesters who joined the 2019 wave of protests. Pressure on the movement allowed China to seize political control. and Lee joined the list of US-approved Chinese and Hong Kong officials.
“I understand it will take some time to convince the population,” John Lee told the media on Sunday. “But I can do it through action,” he said. Lee added that authorities plan to build a Hong Kong “full of hope, opportunity and harmony” as it “restores order after chaos.”
Details of the new leader’s policy throughout his tenure will be known after he takes office, scheduled for July 1, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s transfer from the UK to China. The city has never been a democracy, fueling years of public frustration and at times massive, violent protests.
Lee was appointed to lead local government by a selection committee that currently consists of 1,461 people, or about 0.02% of the population of 7.4 million. After a brief secret ballot on Sunday, 99% (1,416) of the body’s members voted in favor of the former police officer and eight against, according to officials. Thirty-three members did not vote.
“Demonstration of the Democratic Spirit”
Beijing welcomed the nearly unanimous election, saying the result showed Lee’s “high level of recognition and endorsement by Hong Kong society.” “This is a true display of democratic spirit,” the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Department said in a statement. Said.
The strict national security law that Beijing implemented in 2020 to curb opposition in Hong Kong prohibits demonstrations. The legislation established a political system reform that ensured the city was run only by “patriots” loyal to the Chinese regime. In addition to this pressure device, the Covid-19 pandemic has served as an excuse for local authorities to limit public gatherings to a maximum of four attendees.
According to local media reports, around 6,000 to 7,000 police officers were mobilized to prevent any incidents in the process of appointing the new Executive Leader.
protest attempt
The League of Social Democrats, one of the last remaining pro-democracy groups, held a three-man rally before the polls opened. Participants shouted “power to the people, now universal suffrage”. “We know this action will have no consequences, but we don’t want Hong Kong to remain completely silent,” protester Vanessa Chan said as dozens of police officers watched the small group of militants.
The pro-democracy movement has been stifled by the national security law, but most of the population still harbors deep resentment at Beijing and the inequalities that stem from Hong Kong society. The prison sentences of the protesters intensify this resentment.
The former British colony, which has turned into the third largest financial center in the world, continues to live almost in isolation due to its harsh restrictions on the pandemic.
With information from AFP
source: Noticias
