Think tank clarifies event not for CE bid

A prominent think tank said its invitation to former World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun to give a speech has nothing to do with the Chief Executive election. 

In a statement on Thursday, Our Hong Kong Foundation, founded by former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said it focuses on public policy research.  

It made the decision several months ago to invite Chan to deliver a talk with the aim of facilitating discussion on public policies. It has nothing to do with the CE election, it said.  

The talk was scheduled last Friday but was postponed due to the fifth wave of the Covid-19 outbreak.  

The Standard's sister publication Eastweek said Chan is forming her own cabinet ahead of a run for the chief executive seat in March. Recently, some mediators "have been going around approaching talents, asking them to submit their resumes for Margaret Chan's cabinet."  

Chan, 74, was the director of health when Hong Kong battled SARS - also caused by a novel coronavirus - in 2003. In the same year, she joined WHO as director of the department for the protection of the human environment.  

In 2006, she was elected director-general of the United Nations' health agency and won a second term from 2012 to 2017.  

During the December 19 Legislative Council election, Chan, a member of the Election Committee, spoke in a media stand-up area after casting her vote. At the time, she was asked if she would join the chief executive election, but she did not reply.  

Meanwhile, Lam, 64, has not dropped any hints on whether she will seek reelection, although political insiders believe she wants to.  

The chief executive election will be held on March 27, and the tentative nomination period for candidates will be between February 15 and March 2.