HONG KONG — John Lee was elected as Hong Kong’s next leader Sunday by an election committee comprised of almost 1,500 largely pro-Beijing members.
Lee acquired 1,416 votes within the chief govt election, far exceeding the 751 votes wanted to win. More than 97 p.c of the Election Committee forged their votes in a secret poll Sunday morning.
As the one candidate within the polls, Lee was anticipated to win, particularly since he has Beijing’s endorsement and final month obtained 786 nominations from members of the Election Committee in assist of his candidacy.
Lee will change present leader Carrie Lam on July 1.
The election on Sunday follows main modifications to Hong Kong’s electoral legal guidelines final yr to make sure that solely “patriots” loyal to Beijing can maintain workplace. The legislature was additionally reorganized to all however get rid of opposition voices.
The elaborate preparations surrounding the pre-determined final result communicate to Beijing’s want for a veneer of democracy. Though they may vote in a secret poll, Hong Kong’s electors have all been rigorously vetted.
On Sunday morning, three members of the League of Social Democrats, a neighborhood activist group, protested the election by making an attempt to march towards the election venue whereas displaying a banner demanding common suffrage that will enable Hong Kongers to vote each for the legislature and the chief govt.
“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 as Hong Kong’s future leader 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 aimed toward stamping out dissent.
His rise grew out of large 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 below the safety regulation, which outlaws secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with international forces to intervene within the metropolis’s affairs. Almost all distinguished 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 mentioned he would enhance the town’s competitiveness and set a agency basis for Hong Kong’s growth.