John Lee turned into elected as Hong Kong’s subsequent chief Sunday via way of means of an election committee made out of almost 1,500 in large part pro-Beijing participants.
Mr. Lee acquired 1,416 votes withinside the leader government election, a long way exceeding the 751 votes had to win. More than 97% of the Election Committee forged their votes in a mystery poll Sunday morning.
As the handiest candidate withinside the polls, Mr. Lee turned into anticipated to win, specifically for the reason that he has Beijing’s endorsement and ultimate month received 786 nominations from participants of the Election Committee in guide of his candidacy.
Mr. Lee will update modern-day chief Carrie Lam on July 1.
The election on Sunday follows fundamental modifications to Hong Kong’s electoral legal guidelines ultimate 12 months to make sure that handiest “patriots” unswerving to Beijing can keep office. The legislature turned into additionally reorganized to all however get rid of competition voices.
The complicated preparations surrounding the pre-decided final results talk to Beijing’s choice for a veneer of democracy. Though they may vote in a mystery poll, Hong Kong’s electors have all been cautiously vetted.
On Sunday morning, 3 participants of the League of Social Democrats, a nearby activist group, protested the election via way of means of trying to march closer to the election venue even as showing a banner disturbing ordinary suffrage that might permit Hong Kongers to vote each for the legislature and the leader government.
“Human rights over power, the human beings are more than the country,” the banner read. “One person, one vote for the leader government. Immediately put in force twin ordinary suffrage.”
One protester turned into handing out flyers earlier than police arrived and cordoned off the protesters and the banner. Police additionally searched protesters’ property and took down their private details, aleven though no arrests had been right now made.
The pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong has lengthy demanded ordinary suffrage, which they are saying is promised to the town in its mini-constitution, the Basic Law. It turned into additionally a key call for withinside the 2014 Umbrella Revolution protests and 2019 anti-authorities demonstrations.
Mr. Lee as Hong Kong’s destiny chief has sparked subject that Beijing ought to in addition tighten its grip on Hong Kong. He spent maximum of his civil carrier profession withinside the police and safety bureau and is an outspoken and staunch supporter of a countrywide safety regulation imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 aimed toward stamping out dissent.
His upward thrust grew out of big anti-authorities protests in 2019 that spiralled into violent clashes. As safety secretary, he oversaw the police marketing campaign to confront protesters with tear fueloline and rubber bullets, then rounded a lot of them up for arrest later.
More than a hundred and fifty human beings were arrested beneathneath the safety regulation, which outlaws secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with overseas forces to intrude withinside the town’s affairs. Almost all outstanding pro-democracy activists were jailed, with others fleeing overseas or being intimidated into silence.
Thousands of citizens have left the town of 7.four million human beings amid the 2019 protests and next harsh pandemic restrictions, together with many experts and expatriates.
In his election marketing campaign withinside the weeks main as much as Sunday’s polls, Mr. Lee pledged to enact lengthy-shelved nearby regulation to guard in opposition to safety threats and vowed to boom the housing deliver withinside the world’s maximum steeply-priced actual property market.
He additionally stated he could enhance the town’s competitiveness and set a company basis for Hong Kong’s development.
