Lee quits to enter 'one-horse' CE race

Hong Kong's No 2 official, John Lee Ka-chiu, showed yesterday he is focused on the top job as he resigned as chief secretary for administration to be set for next month's chief executive election.

If he wins, which is likely, the 40-year government veteran will be Hong Kong's first leader from the disciplined forces one year and 10 months after Beijing imposed the national security law on the SAR.

Lee, 64, handed his resignation to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in the afternoon and then headed on leave immediately.

In a five-minute briefing for the media in English and Chinese several hours after he resigned Lee said he plans to campaign to be chief executive after his resignation is approved by Beijing.

"I indicated in my letter that if my resignation is approved by the central government I shall plan to prepare to stand for the upcoming chief executive election," Lee said.

He also thanked Lam for appointing him secretary for security in July 2017 and then chief secretary in June last year.

Also, "I thank the people of Hong Kong," Lee said. "Having been in the government for over 40 years, to serve the people of Hong Kong is a glory."

He also thanked colleagues for "teamwork and cooperation" along with legislators and all 180,000 members of the civil service.

Lee did not take questions from the media nor elaborate on his plans, saying only that he will make another announcement to update people in detail about his next step after his resignation is approved by Beijing.

His resignation came hours after officials of Beijing's Liaison Office in Hong Kong met with core members of the Election Committee in the morning at Sai Wan.

It is understood committee members were told the chief executive election on May 8 will follow the "one-horse race" style used in Macau for the first time in Hong Kong since the handover in 1997.

Members were told Lee will be the single candidate with the blessing of the central government.

It is expected Lee's resignation will be approved by Beijing as early as tomorrow, and then he can announce his candidacy officially and start his election campaign.

In the 2017 chief executive election countdown the central government took four days to approve Carrie Lam's resignation as chief secretary, but it took Beijing 35 days to approve rival John Tsang Chun-wah's departure as financial secretary.

The nomination period started on Sunday and will end on April 16. But as April 15 and 16 are public holidays candidates will have to hand in their nominations on April 14 at the latest.

It is understood Lee can only start gathering his nominations after his resignation has been confirmed.

He will need 188 nominations - at least 15 from each sector - among 1,448 Election Committee members.

If Lee then wins he will be the fourth chief secretary - the No 2 official in Hong Kong - to run for the SAR's top job.

The first three were Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, Henry Tang Ying-yen and Lam.

And if elected on May 8, Lee, who went into government service as a police inspector, will become Hong Kong's first leader from the disciplined forces.

Born in Hong Kong in 1957, Lee joined the police as a probationary inspector when he was 20 after studying at Wah Yan College, Kowloon. He earned distinctions in the Certificate of Education and the Advanced Level examinations.

He had a chance to study engineering at the University of Hong Kong, but he let that go so he could become a police officer to help his family make ends meet.

Lee was promoted to chief superintendent in July 1997 and was in charge of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau, West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit, the Narcotics Bureau and the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau.

He was promoted to assistant commissioner in May 2003, senior assistant commissioner in January 2007 and deputy commissioner in September 2010.

He was scheduled to retire from the force in 2014, but in advance of that he was appointed undersecretary for security in September 2012 and promoted to secretary for security in July 2017 before being promoted to chief secretary.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com