Talking points: Should Carrie Lam step down as Hong Kong's chief executive?
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Should Carrie Lam step down as Hong Kong's chief executive?I definitely think Carrie Lam should step down. As chief executive, it is her duty to take all responsibility. As she is the one who is in charge of passing laws, she should pay the price for her actions. Her performance as chief executive has not been as good as we hoped, so I think it is time she step down from her post.
Tommy Cheung, 16, Fung Kai No. 1 Secondary School
Whether Carrie Lam should step down depends heavily on her actions in the coming months. The chief executive is, some may say, notoriously known for her stubbornness: refusing to take back her words, not easily at least. If a series of heart-wrenching events could not cast her any doubts on the appropriateness of the government’s attitude, then stepping down would be the only right choice, even if she is determined not to do so. Hong Kong is in desperate need of a change, otherwise there will be no turning back.
Ian Chiu Yi-nap, 15, Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College
I don’t think she should. Her behaviour has fuelled a lot of people’s anger in the city, but if she were to step down now, I think there would be no suitable person who would like to take up her role. I don’t think her stepping down would end all the protests in Hong Kong. I hope she will make better choices and make sure Hong Kong doesn’t become a dead city. I hope this crisis will end soon.
Diana Yiu, 12, Pope Paul VI College
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I think she should. Protests have been going on in the city since June, and there aren’t any signs of it calming down anytime soon. Carrie Lam is the one who created this situation. The protests have led to violent clashes between citizens and the police, leading to lost of injuries and arrests. Lam must take full responsibility for all of that, for causing hatred and instability in the city, and step down.
Tina Li Nga-kwan, 14, Pope Paul VI College
I think it is not only the chief executives job to lead the government and enforce laws, but also to listen to the public’s opinion. Hong Kong people have been demonstrating their dissatisfaction of Lam and the government’s actions since June, and the government has done nothing to end the chaos but condemn the protester’s violence. I think the protesters’ demand for a commission of inquiry into alleged police brutality is an important one that needs to be met. Lam has given the protesters this. Some think it is because she is being controlled by the Chinese government. If this is so, how can she lead the Hong Kong people? If she does not have her own people’s best interests at heart then she must step down.
Lei Kar-wah, 17, Pok Oi Hospital 80th Anniversary Tang Ying Hei College
Over the past three months, Carrie Lam has proven herself to be an inept chief executive. For me, she needs to do more than step down, I think she owes us a sincere apology. During her campaign for chief executive, she promised she would resign if mainstream opinion was against her. Her popularity rating is by far the lowest among all the former chief executives of Hong Kong, but she still refuses to step down. We can’t have a liar for a leader, and allow her to continue to cause trouble in our city.
Marco Ng, 16, Fung Kai No. 1 Secondary School
I’m not sure. Personally, I really want her to step down as chief executive as she’s made such a big mistake by promoting the extradition bill. However I’m not sure if she should, because I cannot think of anyone who would replace her, I don’t think anyone wants to.
Teresa Kwok, 14, South Island School
I don’t think Carrie Lam should step down because she has fulfilled her election campaign slogan “we connect”. She has successfully brought together Hongkongers with a common goal. We need her to stay so we can stay connected. I don’t think her stepping down will end the crisis. Even if we had a new chief executive, the new one might be controlled by the Chinese government.
Tammy Wong Pui-yi, 17, Pok Oi Hospital 80th Anniversary Tang Ying Hei College
I think she needs to step down, but not right now. It is clear that she does not have the ability to lead Hong Kong, as she has only made the situation in the city worse over the past few months. But if she were to step down now, I’m afraid Hong Kong would not be able to find someone to replace her at such short notice. The timing is not so ideal.
Kenny Chan Wing-ho, 17, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Mrs. Wu York Yu memorial College
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For me, it is a definite yes. Simply because of all the chaos she has created in Hong Kong. Her actions and attitude are really angering the young people in the city, as their futures will be most affected. Instead of trying to calm the protesters who were angered by the extradition bill, she is only creating more laws and restrictions, which would obviously make the protesters even more angry. If she continues to be stubborn then I fear she will destroy Hong Kong’s economy and reputation. This is why I think she needs to step down right away.
Mahmood Eshal Taghbeen, 14, Pope Paul VI College
In our next Talking Points, we’ll discuss:
Should cannabis be legalised in Hong Kong?
We are now accepting your answers for this topic. To take part, email your answer with your name, age, and school, along with a nice, clear selfie (make sure it’s not blurry), to [email protected] by lunchtime on Monday. Don’t forget to include “Talking Points” in the subject line.