Hong Kong’s No.2 official John Lee announced on Wednesday he plans to run for the city’s chief executive election.
The confirmation of his bid for Hong Kong’s top job and resignation as chief secretary comes just two days after Carrie Lam, the incumbent chief executive, said she will not seek re-election as the city’s leader.
“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,” said Lee at a press conference on Wednesday.
“If the Central People’s Government approves my resignation, I shall inform you of my next move in details.”
In his around five-minute speech — during which he did not take any reporters’ questions — Lee also described his over 40 years of service in the government as “a glory”.
Earlier in the day, Lam said in a statement she had received the resignation Lee tendered and had submitted it to China’s Central People’s Government.
He will proceed on leave with immediate effect, she added.
Aged 64, Lee has been the chief secretary since June 2021.
He is also a former deputy commissioner of police and served as the secretary for security from July 2017 to June 2021, during which he oversaw the police’s controversial handling of pro-democracy protests in 2019 and 2020.
The election for Hong Kong’s next leader will be on May 8, after it was pushed back for six weeks as the city was facing its worst COVID-19 outbreak.
The poll is a small-circle election, with only 1,462 voters from an election committee.
The nomination period opened on Sunday and will run till April 16.
