Published 14:23 IST, October 23rd 2019
Amid protests, China reportedly trying to replace leader Carrie Lam
China to replace Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam as protests continue. Norman Chan and Henry Tang might be the successors serving as interim chief executive
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam might be replaced with an interim chief executive after months of violent pro-democracy protests in the region, reported a global publication. The leader has been the center of the agitation which claims that Beijing is snatching away the freedom earlier enjoyed under one country, two systems followed since 1997. China has repeatedly denied the allegations of snatching away Hong Kong's freedom.
According to reports, the Government wants the situation to calm down before coming to a decision. If the reports are true and Xi Jinping decides to replace Lam then her replacement might be chosen by March 2020, two years earlier than her term ends. As per reports, the prospective candidates who might replace her include Norman Chan, the former head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Henry Tang, who has also served as the territory's financial secretary and chief secretary for administration.
Carrie Lam at the center of political crisis
The Hong Kong leader earlier said that she had never asked the Chinese government to let her resign to end the Chinese-ruled city's political crisis. This was her response to a recording in which she was reportedly heard that she would step down if she could. Carrie Lam has been facing the wrath of pro-democracy lawmakers and protesters continuously. Earlier, she was forced out of the legislature after pro-democracy lawmakers constantly heckled and jeered at her during her annual address on October 16. She had to finally deliver her speech through a video link to lay out the policy objectives. The hostile lawmakers were holding placards of Carrie Lam with blood on her hands. The lawmakers called Lam the ‘mother of the mafia police’. They also used a projector to display the key demands on the wall behind her.
During the address through video link, Lam said, “People are asking: Will Hong Kong return to normal? Continued violence and spread of hatred will erode the core values of Hong Kong.”
About Hong Kong protests
Since mid-June, thousands of people have hit the streets in Hong Kong which turned violent on many occasions, creating a state of chaos in the region. The mass protests rose against a now-suspended extradition bill that could have seen people sent to mainland China for trial in Communist Party-controlled courts. Protests have continued even after the bill was withdrawn, defying police rules in the city.
12:08 IST, October 23rd 2019