Carrie Lam emerges as city's first female leader
Carrie Lam, former deputy to current Chief Executive CY Leung, has been selected as Hong Kong's next leader.
Carrie Lam will be the fourth Hong Kong chief executive, and the first female leader in the city's history
CNN reports that she became the fourth chief executive, with 777 of 1,194 possible votes from a tiny election committee, filled with the city's elite.
These include Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing, pro-Beijing politician Regina Ip, and veteran anti-establishment lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung Kwok Hung, as well as Hong Kong deputies to China's National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Formerly a deputy to current Chief Executive CY Leung, Lam beat the former Financial Secretary John Tsang, and retired Judge Woo Kwok-hing to be chosen as the city's next leader.
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All three candidates met and shook hands with electors before the voting, which started by 9 a.m. local time and closed two hours later.
This was carried out by the 1,194 members of the election commission, who have been described as "broadly representative."
However, not everyone is happy with the way the city leader. These people took to the streets with their ballots to protest at the "small circle election."
Reportedly, the protest was carried out by around 300 people. Standing outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, they demanded for "true universal suffrage," as conveyed by the messages on their signs.
Speaking with CNN, Joshua Wong, one of the leaders of the protests, said the new leader is "chosen by (Chinese) President Xi Jinping not Hong Kongers."
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"It's a selection rather than an election," he added.
He also predicted that there would be another huge protest on July 1, the date for swearing in of the next chief executive. It also marks 20 years under the Chinese rule for the city.
His prediction was backed by Nathan Law, a member of the Legislative Council from Wong's Demosisto party.
He said, "If you appoint a candidate that is not favored by the people, the response will be larger, I think there will be massive protests on July 1.
"We've got a long road to go. People are persistent, and they will fight for a better society."
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This is not the first time people have demanded for a change in the political system.
In 2014, this was one of the major demands for "Umbrella Movement," whose protesters closed the city for 79 days.
Unfortunately, they failed to get what they wanted.
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