HONG KONG (AFP) - A former security chief who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong’s democracy movement was anointed the business hub’s new leader on Sunday by a small committee of Beijing loyalists.
John Lee, 64, was the only candidate in the Beijing-backed race to succeed outgoing leader Carrie Lam.
The elevation of Lee, who is under US sanctions, places a security official in the top job for the first time after a tumultuous few years for a city battered by political unrest and debilitating pandemic controls.
Despite the city’s mini-constitution promising universal suffrage, Hong Kong has never been a democracy, the source of years of public frustration and protests since the 1997 handover to China.
Its leader is instead chosen by an "election committee" currently comprised of 1,461 people -- roughly 0.02 percent of the city’s population.
After a brief secret ballot on Sunday, 99 percent (1,416 members) voted for Lee while eight voted against, according to officials.
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