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Opinion | Carrie Lam’s policy pivot is too little, too late to heal Hong Kong
- The chief executive’s acknowledgement that political impasse lies at the root of Hong Kong’s many problems is startling for stating the obvious
- While some may welcome her U-turn, it’s hard to see how she can make peace with the opposition in the wake of the national security law
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Did she really say it or did I get it wrong? To make sure, I watched for myself Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s interview with a Hong Kong television station. It was in Cantonese, which I speak fluently. Yes, she did say it – nothing lost in translation.
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Without mincing words, Lam admitted bad blood between the government and the opposition was the main obstacle to solving issues such as housing. What took her so long? It’s been common knowledge since the Occupy uprising.
Her awakening came a week ago today. If she has finally seen the light, it’s a sea change for a leader who even some close aides have privately described as stubbornly arrogant, who ignored early advice from some cabinet members against her now-dead extradition bill.
Lam said in the interview it would be difficult to govern Hong Kong without solving the political impasse. “So the coming policy address is inseparable from talking about politics,” she said.
Let’s have a memory refresh of her policy address last October. Anti-extradition bill protests were raging. Police tear gas filled the air. Protesters hurled petrol bombs. Street battles between the police and protesters rocked the city. Opposition legislators shouted down Lam when she tried to deliver her policy speech in the Legislative Council.
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Hong Kong leader forced to deliver policy address via video
Hong Kong leader forced to deliver policy address via video
She had to settle for making her speech through video. Instead of showing leadership to deal with the mass protests making international headlines, though, she chose to focus on livelihood issues. It was bizarre – almost like a leader fiddling while the city burned.
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