Hong Kong chief executive election 2022: will John Lee’s manifesto ‘open a new chapter’ for city or is he lifting from the playbooks of previous leaders?
- Pro-Beijing politicians, business leaders laud Lee’s ‘great speech’, with nightlife tycoon Allan Zeman saying it has addressed all of city’s shortcomings
- Critics say Lee’s 44-page manifesto lacks specific policy details, has not addressed sensitive topics such as universal suffrage
Chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu’s election platform which he unveiled on Friday pledged to “open a new chapter for Hong Kong together” but critics said the dearth of bold new ideas did not assure the public there would be a breakaway from the past.
Several said the elements in the manifesto felt like “old wine in a new bottle”.
As he announced his 44-page manifesto, Lee, the city’s former No 2 official, said there was no doubt there was much “we could draw upon and learn from our past”.
“It is equally clear that there remain many deep-rooted problems that require urgent remedy,” he added. “It is high time Hong Kong start a new chapter of development.”
Lee did try to carve a new area when he underscored the need to take decisive action, making in effect an oblique attack on the current administration. The former policeman said “after all the big debates on land use, it’s time for execution” when he addressed a question on practical solutions to ease the city’s housing crunch.
