HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s chief Mayor John Lee, a security official during the protracted and often violent pro-democracy protests in the global financial hub, said on Wednesday he had resigned in a bid to run for election in May to become the city’s new leader. .
Li, 64, a former deputy police commissioner, was promoted to the second round in Chinese territory in 2021 in a move that some political analysts said indicated that Beijing’s priorities for Hong Kong were security rather than the economy.
“I indicate in the letter that the reason for my resignation is that if the Central People’s Government accepts my resignation, I will plan to prepare to run for the next CEO election,” Li told a press conference.
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He is the first government official to announce his candidacy for the top position, as the media reported that he will be the only candidate in the CEO elections scheduled for May 8.
Lee was among other top officials in Hong Kong and China who were sanctioned by the United States in 2020 for what Washington described as their role in curbing Hong Kong’s freedoms under Beijing’s sweeping national security law.
Hong Kong and Chinese authorities deny that individual rights are being eroded and say security legislation is necessary to restore stability after the protracted turmoil of 2019.
Previous chief executives had extensive experience making economic and social policy, and Lee was the first security official to lead the city in his role as Chief Secretary. Lee’s promotion to second place in the city saw Police Chief Chris Tang take over the post of Li’s former Minister of Security.
His attempt to take on the city’s highest political office is a sign of the growing power of power security officials in the former British colony after faithfully implementing Beijing’s new laws. If successful, Lee will be the first person with a security background to lead Hong Kong since its return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Lee’s announcement comes two days after current chief executive Carrie Lam said she would not seek a second five-year term, having presided over one of the most turbulent periods in Hong Kong’s history.
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