Hong Kong’s No. 2 official declared on April 6 that he intends to enter the race to become the city’s next leader, just days after the current chief executive said she won’t seek another term.
“I indicate in the letter the reason for my resignation is that if my resignation is approved by the Central People’s Government, I shall plan to prepare to stand for the upcoming chief executive election,” Lee told a press conference.
He said he would elaborate on his next move once his resignation was formally approved by Beijing.
In January 2017, Lam stepped down from her role as Hong Kong’s chief secretary, a resignation which was approved by Beijing four days after it was submitted.
The next leader will be chosen on May 8 by an election committee of roughly 1,500 members, most of whom are loyal to the Chinese Communist Party.
If Lee is successful, it would be the first time a security specialist has taken the leadership position since Hong Kong’s handover to China from Britain in 1997. Previous chief executives have had extensive economic and social policy-making expertise.
According to his official website, Lee joined the Hong Kong police force in 1997 and became deputy police commissioner in 2010. He was appointed undersecretary for security in 2012 and was promoted to secretary by Lam when she took office in 2017.
Lee is the first government official to announce a bid for the city’s top political position. The nomination period opened on April 3 and continues until April 16.
The sweeping legislation criminalizes four broadly defined categories of offenses, including secession, subversion, and collusion with a foreign country. People found guilty of violating this law can face up to life in prison.
On April 6, six more people were arrested for suspected sedition and contravention of the law. According to local media outlets, those arrested include Leo Tang, former vice chairman of the now-disbanded Confederation of Trade Unions, and citizen journalist Siew Yun-long.
