Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says she won't run for re-election

Hong Kong's chief executive, Carrie Lam, who once backed a controversial extradition law in 2019 that sparked massive months-long anti-government protests, said Monday she would not seek a second term in office.

Lam was elected in 2017 in a race that was stacked with pro-Beijing and pro-establishment loyalists. Two years after her election in 2019, she introduced an extradition bill that would have allowed individuals to be sent to China for trial in Communist Party-controlled courts. It prompted more than a million people to take to the streets and protest in June of that year. While she initially refused to withdraw the bill, she later delayed the law indefinitely and apologized for the social turmoil.

In response to the protests, China imposed a national security law that criminalizes dissent and criticism of the Chinese regime, giving Beijing more power than ever to shape life in Hong Kong.

Her term ends in June of this year and, according to historical surveys, is the least popular Hong Kong leader since the handover of the city from British to Chinese rule.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/8732927/carrie-lam-hong-kong-city-leader-election/
Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc
Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ
Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt
Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB
#GlobalNews