John Lee was elected as Hong Kong's next leader Sunday, after winning over 99% of votes cast by a largely pro-Beijing election committee.
Lee received 1,416 votes in the chief executive election, far exceeding the 751 votes he needed to win. The Election Committee's nearly 1,500 members cast their votes in a secret ballot Sunday morning.
As the only candidate in the polls, Lee was expected to win, especially since he had Beijing’s endorsement and last month obtained 786 nominations from members of the Election Committee in support of his candidacy.
Lee will replace current leader Carrie Lam on July 1.
The British handed Hong Kong over to mainland China in 1997 under the “one country, two systems” framework, which promised the city certain freedoms not found on the mainland, including freedom of speech and assembly.
Critics say these freedoms are being eroded as Beijing has exerted greater control over the former British colony in recent years.
Lam congratulated Lee in a statement and said she would submit the election results to Beijing.
“The present-term government and I will ensure a seamless transition with the Chief Executive-elect. We will render all the support needed for the assumption of office by the new term of government,” Lam's statement said.
The election followed major changes to Hong Kong’s electoral laws last year to ensure that only “patriots” loyal to Beijing can hold office. The legislature was also reorganized to all but eliminate opposition voices.
The elaborate arrangements surrounding the pre-determined outcome speak to Beijing’s desire for a veneer of democracy. Though they voted in a secret ballot, Hong Kong’s electors were all carefully vetted.
Mainland China's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council also congratulated Lee in a statement, saying the “successful election” proved that the city's new electoral system is “good” and in line with the “one country, two systems” framework that Hong Kong is governed by.
The statement added that the new chief executive will lead the Hong Kong government and “people from all walks of life to forge ahead in unity."
