'Seeking Re-election May Not Be Best For Carrie Lam

A local delegate to the National People's Congress said on Tuesday that it might be in Carrie Lam’s best interest not to run for a second term in office, a day after the Chief Executive cited family reasons for her upcoming departure.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, Ip Kwok-him, who's also an executive councillor, said he understands and respects Lam's decision not to seek re-election.

He said he’s long heard of her intention to step down after this current term, even though she subsequently hinted of a change of heart when the city’s Covid-19 situation was relatively stable last year.

But he said things took another turn when the fifth wave broke out.

Seeking re-election would not be the best idea, and that’s why the central government accepted her decision, Ip added.

When asked to comment on Lam's performance, Ip said he admired the Chief Executive's efforts in upholding the rule of law here, but believed her working style could easily give off the impression that she ignored people's opinions - and that she was not doing enough to unify society.

"As we have all seen, she is a very tough and strong government official. This is her style, and it's something that can rub many people the wrong way. At the same time, on a professional level, she has quite a number of acquaintances, but not many friends in her personal life whom she can have a heart-to-heart with. So I believe there would be quite a few opposition voices if she decides to seek a second term," he said.

On the upcoming race for the top job, Ip said it is hard to estimate how many people would throw their hats into the ring, but the difficulty in securing enough nominations means it could well end up being a one-person contest.

According to current rules, an election hopeful must receive at least 188 nominations from Election Committee members, with not less than 15 from each of the five sectors.

"To fulfil such a nomination requirement, one must be highly credible in society or among the Election Committee," Ip said.

The politician also stressed that the next CE must be authoritative, able to help unify the city and maintain the rule of law, have a strong sense of commitment, and be familiar with how the government works.