Former WHO chief 'to join' election for Hong Kong's top job

Former World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun is said to be forming her own cabinet ahead of a run for the chief executive seat in March, as incumbent Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor who is likely to seek reelection attempts to stamp out the fifth local Covid-19 wave.

According to The Standard's sister publication Eastweek, Chan is supported by Our Hong Kong Foundation, a think tank founded by the first SAR chief executive Tung Chee-hwa.

Sources said that 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 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.

A source said: "At the moment, political camps are proactively looking for candidates to recommend Some are even gathering names for a possible cabinet in an attempt to win the central government's blessing."

In the past few months, Lam had led authorities in mostly maintaining "zero infections" as she introduced a Hong Kong health code in preparation for a border reopening with the mainland.

But the plan was once again put on hold due to clusters of the fast-spreading Omicron variant triggered by Cathay Pacific aircrew.

A third cluster surrounded the birthday party of National People's Congress Hong Kong deputy Witman Hung Wai-man on January 3.

The source said Lam was furious about the scandal as she believes it could jeopardize her chances of being reelected.

Also being tipped as chief executive candidates are Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu, former Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing chief executive Charles Li Xiaojia and former Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief executive Norman Chan Tak-lam.