A small electoral college chooses a new Hong Kong leader on Sunday amid accusations of meddling by Beijing, denying the Chinese-ruled financial hub a more populist leader perhaps better suited to defuse the political tension. The vast majority of the city’s 7.3 million people have no say in their next leader, with the winner to be chosen by a 1,200-person “election committee” stacked with pro-Beijing and pro-establishment loyalists.

Three candidates are running for the top post, two former officials, Carrie Lam and John Tsang, and a retired judge, Woo Kwok-hing. Lam is considered the favourite. “I hope we all remember on 24 March 2017, we Hong Kong people have all come together and given our most sincere blessings for a more united, a better Hong Kong,” Tsang told a rally of thousands of cheering supporters on Friday night. Several hundred protesters marched on Saturday denouncing Beijing’s “interference” in the election amid widespread reports of lobbying of the 1,200 voters to back Lam, rather than the more populist and conciliatory former finance chief, Tsang.

Security was tight on Sunday around the harbourfront voting centre with 2,000 or so police officers expected to be deployed in the vicinity in case of unrest.

Since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, Beijing has gradually increased control over the territory even though China had promised wide-ranging freedoms and autonomy under the formula of “one country, two systems”, along with an undated promise of universal suffrage.

Many fear that Lam will continue the tough policies of staunchly pro-Beijing incumbent Leung Chun-ying, a divisive figure who ordered the firing of tear gas on pro-democracy protesters in 2014 and who wasn’t seen to be defending Hong Kong’s autonomy and core values.

The political upheavals with Beijing over the city’s autonomy and democratic reforms — that many hoped would have allowed a direct election this time round — have roiled a new generation and weighed on the city’s economy, ranked 33rd globally by the World Bank in 2015.

Political and social divisions, mainly over democracy and anxieties over China’s creeping influence, have dominated political debate leading to some legislative and policy-making paralysis and the stalling of major projects, including a cultural hub and high-speed rail link to China.

While Hong Kong’s proximity to China has been a boon for the city, bringing in Chinese investment and spending, businesses have also faced growing competition from mainland Chinese firms in core sectors like services and property. Housing prices, now among the world’s highest, are widely seen to have been jacked up by an unrelenting wave of buying from rich Chinese, intensifying anti-China sentiment.

Many observers, leading businessmen and politicians have warned Hong Kong can’t afford another period of upheaval if the city is to regain its former capitalist mojo.

Beijing’s shadowy detention of five Hong Kong booksellers in late 2015, and the disappearance of a Chinese billionaire this year, have also undermined confidence in the “one country, two systems” formula.

While Beijing hasn’t explicitly backed any candidate, senior officials have stressed certain conditions must be met including a new leader having the “trust” of China’s Communist leaders.

“Just because a candidate is leading popularity polls doesn’t necessarily mean you should vote for (that person),” said Leung Chun-ying on Friday.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App now</s>In this March 23, 2017, file photo, Hong Kong chief executive candidate, former Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, waves to supporters at an election campaign in Hong Kong. She's seen as loyal to China's Communist leaders yet without the polarizing persona of her former boss Leung Chun-ying, whose initials inspired Lam's nickname of C.Y. 2.0. less FILE - In this March 23, 2017, file photo, Hong Kong chief executive candidate, former Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, waves to supporters at an election campaign in Hong Kong.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Houston Chronicle.</s>Beijing-backed civil servant Carrie Lam has been chosen as Hong Kong’s first female leader after a small elite election committee gave her a landslide win against a background of rising political tension in the city.

There were three candidates in the running for choice by a 1,194-person “election committee” composed of pro-Beijing businesspeople, professionals and politicians that selects leaders for the former Crown colony and the former chief secretary’s victory had been widely expected.

Ms Lam received 777 votes compared to 365 for her closest rival, former financial secretary John Tsang, who had registered as more popular in opinion polls.

Hong Kong has remained deeply politically divided since the Umbrella Movement that led to large parts of the city being occupied by pro-democracy demonstrators in 2014.

There are more than 3.7 million registered voters, but the overwhelming majority of Hong Kong people have no say in choosing their leader.

Ms Lam (59) will replace the unpopular Leung Chun-ying, who famously ordered the firing of tear gas on protesters during the Occupy demonstrations.

He bowed out in December but opposition democrats are concerned Ms Lam will carry on his pro-Beijing policies and will not defend Hong Kong’s autonomy and core values.

Since the protests there have been growing calls for greater self-determination for Hong Kong, and fears for the territory’s cherished autonomy after a series of events, including the arrest of five Hong Kong booksellers, who vanished into Chinese police custody in 2015.

Beijing has watched developments in Hong Kong with alarm and sees rising calls for more autonomy as a threat to stability.

There were scuffles outside the convention centre in Hong Kong as the votes were counted, with activists chanting for universal suffrage for the territory of 7.3 million people and carrying banners saying “lies, coercion, whitewash”.

Earlier, a large yellow banner calling for democracy for Hong Kong was unfurled from the Lion Rock peak overlooking the city.

The Demosisto political party, headed by the Umbrella Revolution leader Joshua Wong, described the result as “a nightmare to Hong Kongers.”

“Lam’s victory despite her lack of representation and popular support reflects the Chinese Communist Party’s complete control over Hong Kong’s electoral process and its serious intrusion of Hong Kong’s autonomy,” the group said in a statement.

Ms Lam will take the oath of office on July 1st, the 20th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover, when the territory reverted to Chinese rule. Demosisto said it would organise a large civil disobedience protest on the day.

Hong Kong’s economy has benefited from its close links to China, but increased investment from the mainland in the real estate market is blamed for a housing shortage and put pressure on services.

Ms Lam hails from a relatively humble background in the city’s Wan Chai district and she has a reputation as a safe pair of hands and a competent civil servant.

As a student she had been an activist for left-wing causes and supported some local causes.</s>HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s electoral committee picked a staunchly pro-China candidate to lead the city in voting that underscored Beijing’s growing political influence on the former British colony.

The 1,194-member committee stacked with pro-Beijing business leaders and politicians chose Carrie Lam, a longtime city official, who was widely viewed as Beijing’s favorite in the three-person race. During the campaign, electors acknowledged receiving phone calls from Beijing representatives instructing them to pick Lam.

The vote for chief executive comes at a sensitive time for Beijing. This summer marks the 20th anniversary of Britain’s handover of Hong Kong to China. Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping is tightening political control ahead of a Communist Party congress this fall that is expected to further cement his leadership. Both events put a premium on having a Hong Kong leader in place who can avoid political disturbances such as those in 2014, when dissatisfaction with the political process led to widespread pro-democracy protests.

Lam, a 59-year-old mother of two, steps into a post fraught with pitfalls. The longtime bureaucrat, who will become the city’s first female chief executive, must now balance the demands of mainland Chinese authorities who are seeking greater control over Hong Kong life with city residents who are accustomed to Western norms such as rule of law.

An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.

How 4D mapping could change the way we live and work Mapping-software company HERE is owned by the biggest German automotive companies - BMW, Audi and Mercedes owner Daimler. HERE CEO Edzard Overbeek spoke to MarketWatch about the evolution of maps from two to three and, eventually, four dimensions.</s>HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s next leader will be chosen Sunday by an election committee stacked with pro-Beijing elites who heed the wishes of China’s communist leaders rather than the semiautonomous region’s voters.

The candidates are front-runner Carrie Lam, a career civil servant who is widely seen as Beijing’s favorite, chief rival John Tsang and retired judge Woo Kwok-hing. A closer look at each potential replacement to unpopular incumbent Leung Chun-ying, whose term ends in June:

THE FRONTRUNNER — A lifelong civil servant who rose to Hong Kong’s second-highest office, former Chief Secretary Carrie Lam is Beijing’s preference. She’s seen as loyal to China’s Communist leaders yet without the polarizing persona of her former boss Leung, whose initials inspired Lam’s nickname of C.Y. 2.0. During the 2014 pro-democracy protests, Lam led the government debaters who faced off on television against the movement’s student-activist leaders.

Lam, 59 and a devout Catholic, was once one of Hong Kong’s most popular government officials but her attempts to connect with ordinary people have reduced her support in opinion polls. She was the last candidate to set up an official Facebook page, which then drew a flood of angry emojis. She burnished her pro-Beijing credentials with one of her final acts as chief secretary in December, when she suddenly announced that Hong Kong’s new arts hub would include a branch of Beijing’s palace museum, a decision that lacked public input.

THE PEOPLES’ CHOICE — John Tsang, 65, has been dubbed “Mr. Pringles” or “Uncle Chips” in Cantonese because his signature moustache lends him a resemblance to the snack food mascot. In turn, his fans call themselves “small potatoes.” He was Hong Kong’s financial secretary before quitting in December to campaign for the leadership, but Beijing didn’t approve his resignation for weeks, a sign taken by observers that he wasn’t in favor. Lam’s resignation, in contrast, was approved in days.

Tsang, a fencing and martial arts enthusiast, moved to the U.S. when he was 13 and earned degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard before returning to Hong Kong. He’s one of Hong Kong’s most popular officials, thanks to his easygoing persona; a few years ago he was hit on the head by an egg thrown by a protester aiming for Leung but merely shrugged it off, joking that he wasn’t wearing a good suit. His detractors have criticized him for vastly underestimating Hong Kong’s budget surplus for most of the nine years he was budget secretary as well as failing to use the Asian financial hub’s massive stash of capital reserves effectively.

THE THIRD OPTION — Woo Kwok-hing is a retired High Court judge who was unknown to most Hong Kongers until he declared his candidacy. Woo, 71, has little experience in politics and public administration aside from 13 years as chairman of the Hong Kong commission overseeing election affairs. He’s not seen as having Beijing’s support because he has spoken about his plan to revamp Hong Kong’s election system to give every resident the chance to vote for its leader.</s>Hong Kong has selected Carrie Lam to be the city's first-ever female chief executive, sealing an election that many saw as a foregone conclusion and not a democratic race.

 

 Lam previously served as Hong Kong's chief secretary for administration and was China’s preferred candidate in the race.

 

 While she lagged behind in public opinion polls, she outperformed her two male rivals — former finance secretary John Tsang and retired judge Woo Kwok-hing — claiming 777 votes. That is about 70 percent of nearly 1,200 votes cast by the city’s electoral committee, a body that is stacked with Beijing loyalists.

 

 In her victory speech, she looked to put the focus back on Hong Kong, which she called "our home," and away from China's looming presence, pledging to build a better society by uniting its citizens and easing their frustrations.

 

 Pro-democracy activists in this former British colony, however, have refused to acknowledge Lam’s victory in the election, given that the city's 7 million citizens were not allowed to participate in the election and because Lam was chosen from a “small-circle” of Hong Kong's pro-Beijing elite.

 

 They have also vowed to boycott her future rule if she bows to the will of Beijing and puts China's interests ahead of the city’s.

 

 First female leader

 

 After being elected the city’s first female leader, Lam - accompanied by her husband, son and supporters - told a news conference that she understands Hong Kongers have suffered from serious divisiveness and accumulated lots of frustrations.

 

 She pledged to begin a new chapter by easing the minds of her people, including those of her opponents.

 

 “My priority will be to heal the divide and to ease these frustrations and to unite our society to move forward,” Lam said.

 

 The chief executive-elect also said she would do her utmost to uphold both Hong Kong's "core values" and the "one country, two systems" model.

 

 "Values such as inclusiveness, freedom of the press and of speech, respect for human rights and systems which have taken generations to establish such as the independent judiciary, rule of law and clean government are matters that we Hong Kong people find precious and are proud of," she said.

 

 Protestor scuffles

 

 While the votes were being cast, there were a number of rallies staged outside the voting venue either in support of Lam or in opposition of what protesters said was a rigged election.

 

 There were also some scuffles between pro-democracy protestors and the police.

 

 The anti-Lam protesters denounced Beijing’s “interference” amid widespread reports of lobbying of the votes to back Lam, rather than the more popular and conciliatory reformer Tsang.

 

 They demanded a free election by universal suffrage.

 

 Leading one of the protesting parades, pan-democrat legislator Nathan Law called for greater democracy, which he said he hopes will allow the city’s 7 million residents to have a say in the choice of their top leader.

 

 As an electoral committee member, Law said he cast a blank ballot in Sunday’s vote, which he described as a “selection” rather than an election.

 

 "The Beijing government has the final say on who is going to be appointed by the Beijing government. That is the reason why I cast a blank vote. Because as long as it is a very closed system, a selection, you should not add legitimacy to the system," Law told reporters.

At another pro-democracy rally, Takchi Tam, the vice president of People Power — a progressive democratic party in Hong Kong — pledged to soon organize a protest outside China's representative office in Hong Kong to express the party's disagreement with what it argues is the communist rulers’ meddling in the election.

Tam said that most Hong Kong citizens have no confidence in Lam and her ability to balance the interests of the public and the rulers in Beijing.

“I don’t think she will keep the balance. I think she will betray Hong Kong people and sell Hong Kong people, sell Hong Kong people’s land, sell Hong Kong people’s benefits to the Chinese communist government,” Tam told VOA.

 

 Tam expressed worries that, under Lam’s rule, the ‘one country, two systems’ formula enacted by China will soon be turned into ‘one country, one system.’

 

 Continued stability

 

 Lam’s supporters, however, disagreed.

 

 Ivan Tsim threw his support behind Lam, who he said will lead the city into a better future with continued stability and economic prosperity, especially when the new leader has addressed his two major policy concerns.

 

 “I’m more concerned [about] the education and housing, these are two big issues for Hong Kongnese,” Ivan Tsim told VOA.

 

 Lam has promised a $644 million (HK$5 billion) budget for education, and to put greater efforts into increasing land and housing supplies as well as diversifying the city’s economic development.

 

 Defeat for public opinions

 

 Although Lam’s victory came as no surprise, some fear the electoral results have meant a defeat for the city’s public opinions and future democratization.

 

 Others said it also meant Beijing would never loosen its grip on Hong Kong.

 

 “Politically, as long as [Chinese president] Xi Jinping, the real hardliner, continues to govern China, he will continue to tighten his grip on Hong Kong and stop Hong Kong from democratizing,” Dixon Sing, associate professor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's social science division, told VOA.</s>Pro-democracy activists and hundreds of supporters marched in Hong Kong on Saturday ahead of a vote for the city’s next leader which they reject as a sham. Hong Kong’s next chief executive will be chosen by a pro-China committee on Sunday with former deputy leader Carrie Lam widely seen as Beijing’s favourite for the job, but intensely disliked by the democracy camp who view her as a hardliner.

It is the first leadership vote in the semi-autonomous city since mass rallies in 2014 calling for fully free elections failed to win reform and comes as concern grows that Beijing is increasingly interfering in Hong Kong. Some of the marchers on Saturday held yellow umbrellas, symbol of the democracy movement, and chanted “Oppose Chinese authorities’ appointment – we should choose our own government!”

The city’s best-known pro-democracy campaigner, Joshua Wong, said he expected more protesters to gather on Sunday as committee members cast their votes at the harbourfront convention centre. “It will be a nightmare for us if Carrie Lam is elected, but we will still continue to generate more motivation to fight against suppression and the interference of China’s government,” said student Wong, 20, who became the face of the 2014 “Umbrella Movement” protests.

The pro-democracy camp makes up only a quarter of the 1,194-strong election committee, which is drawn from a range of special interest groups, ranging from agriculture to real estate. Most democrats on the committee have said they will support Lam’s main rival John Tsang, a former finance minister seen as a more moderate establishment figure.

Tsang drew thousands of supporters to his final campaign rally in central Hong Kong last night, and is a clear favourite in most public opinion polls. However, the vast majority of Hong Kong’s 3.8 million voters do not participate in the selection of the chief executive and Lam is widely expected to win thanks to support from pro-China members of the election committee.

Democracy campaigners marching on Saturday from the commercial area of Causeway Bay to a square near Sunday’s voting venue said regardless of what people thought of the individual candidates, the system needed to change. “I feel our power is still not strong enough to bargain with the Beijing government,” said lawmaker Eddie Chu, but he added he still believed universal suffrage was Hong Kong’s destiny. The 2014 rallies left campaigners frustrated they could not force concessions from China and sparked a new wave of young activists calling for self-determination or full independence for Hong Kong.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App now</s>A committee will decide Hong Kong’s new leader on Sunday in the first chief executive election since mass protests brought the city to a standstill in 2014. Here is what you need to know.

How is the chief executive elected?

The three-way race to become Hong Kong’s new leader will be decided by an election committee of 1,194 members.

This committee is made up of the 70 members of Hong Kong’s legislative chamber, and a mix of professionals, business and trade elites.

The first vote will be cast at 9am, and the three candidates need at least 601 votes to win.

If there is no overall winner, then members will vote again in the afternoon and possibly in the evening.

Runoffs between candidates have not been necessary in the four previous elections that have been held since the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule in 1997.</s>A senior Hong Kong government official has been elected as the new leader of the former British colony. Lam, 59, was named the victor after being nominated by 580 members of the city's election committee.

However, Hong Kong's first female chief executive, who is known for closely adhering to Beijing's policies, is not a popular choice for many of the city's residents. Pro-democracy activists voiced their displeasure at her election a rally on 25 and 26 March, where scuffles broke out with police. Banners were carried through the streets, including one which read: "Lies, coercion, whitewash."

Demonstrators were angry at what they perceive as Beijing's "interference" in the election process.

A poll from last week showed that 29.5% of Hong Kongers supported Lam, while 46.6% in favour of former finance secretary John Tsang. A third candidate, retired judge Woo Kwok-hing received 10.1% in the poll.

Sources close to Lam say she is hard-working and intelligent, although she faces a difficult task of unifying the Chinese-ruled city in the face of growing resentment from the pro-democracy faction.

"Hong Kong, our home, is suffering from quite a serious divisiveness and has accumulated a lot of frustrations. My priority will be to heal the divide," she said after her win.

Lam, who was Hong Kong's number two official, earned a nickname of "the fighter" by local media, according to NDTV.

"Picking Carrie as chief secretary was Mr Leung's [a former chief executive] best appointment," said a senior government official. Although she could sometimes be a "bully", he added.

Student leaders have criticised her for being "vague" in televised meetings during the 2014 protests.

Lam has been dismissed by pro-democracy activists as a Beijing puppet after promoting the Beijing-backed political reform package that sparked 2014's Umbrella Movement rallies that called for completely free elections, without China's vetting of candidates.

Lam said on Sunday (26 March), that she wanted more democracy for Hong Kong and would prioritise issues such as housing.

Lam is the daughter of a Shanghainese immigrant who worked on the docks, while her mother did not have a formal education. The new leader, who becomes head of Hong Kong on 1 July, studied sociology at the University of Hong Kong. A devout Catholic, she is married to a former mathematician Lam Siu-por in 1984 whom she met during while studying at Cambridge University. The couple has two sons who studied in England and all three of her family members are British citizens.

When Hong Kong was returned to China's control in 1997, after being a British colony, it became a special administrative region (SAR), which officially gave it a large amount of independence from China's central government. However, China attempts to keep Hong Kong under its control through law enforcement and appointing officials which side with the Mainland. However, Lam has vowed to uphold Hong Kong's semi-autonomous "one country, two systems" form of government.</s>People attend an election campaign by candidate John Tsang, former Financial Secretary, at the financial Central district, two days before the Chief Executive election, in Hong Kong, China March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A small electoral college chooses a new Hong Kong leader on Sunday amid accusations of meddling by Beijing, denying the Chinese-ruled financial hub a more populist leader perhaps better suited to defuse political tension.

The vast majority of the city's 7.3 million people have no say in their next leader, with the winner to be chosen by a 1,200-person "election committee" stacked with pro-Beijing and pro-establishment loyalists.

Three candidates are running for the top post, two former officials, Carrie Lam and John Tsang, and a retired judge, Woo Kwok-hing. Lam is considered the favorite. (For a graphic on candidates in the running click http://tmsnrt.rs/2nLcvnd)

"I hope we all remember on 24 March 2017, we Hong Kong people have all come together and given our most sincere blessings for a more united, a better Hong Kong," Tsang told a rally of thousands of cheering supporters on Friday night.

Mass protests are planned over the weekend denouncing Beijing's "interference" in the election amid widespread reports of lobbying of the 1,200 voters to back Lam, rather than the more populist and conciliatory former finance chief, Tsang.

Since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, Beijing has gradually increased control over the territory even though Beijing promised wide-ranging freedoms and autonomy under the formula of "one country, two systems", along with an undated promise of universal suffrage.

Many fear that Lam will continue the tough policies of staunchly pro-Beijing incumbent Leung Chun-ying, a divisive figure who ordered the firing of tear gas on pro-democracy protesters in 2014 and who wasn't seen to be defending Hong Kong's autonomy and core values.

The political upheavals with Beijing over the city's autonomy and democratic reforms - that many hoped would have allowed a direct election this time round - have roiled a new generation and weighed on the city's economy, ranked 33rd globally by the World Bank in 2015.

Political and social divisions, mainly over democracy and anxieties over China's creeping influence, have dominated political debate leading to some legislative and policy-making paralysis and the stalling of major projects, including a cultural hub and high-speed rail link to China.

Businesses have also faced growing competition from mainland Chinese firms in core sectors like services and property. Housing prices, now among the world's highest, are widely seen to have been jacked up by an unrelenting wave of buying from rich Chinese, intensifying anti-China sentiment.

Many observers, leading businessmen and politicians have warned Hong Kong can't afford another period of upheaval if the city is to regain its former capitalist mojo.

Beijing's shadowy detention of five Hong Kong booksellers in late 2015, and the disappearance of a Chinese billionaire this year, have also undermined confidence in "one country, two systems" formula.

While Beijing hasn't explicitly backed any candidate, senior officials have stressed certain conditions must be met including a new leader having the "trust" of China's Communist leaders.

"Just because a candidate is leading popularity polls doesn't necessarily mean you should vote for (that person)," said Leung Chun-ying on Friday.

Nearly 2,000 police will be stationed around the harbourfront voting center in case of any unrest.
The Hong Kong Election Committee meets to select a new Chief Executive. Carrie Lam becomes the first female Chief Executive.