New leader expected to get straight to work
More than two dozen staff to support Lee as he selects ministers, prepares policy plan
Following his election, John Lee is expected to move into a chief executive-elect’s office and get straight down to work ahead of taking on the top job on July 1.
Situated in Wan Chai, the office started operating yesterday and it will support him as he selects his governing team and prepares a policy plan based on his manifesto.
It will be headed by former director of administration Daniel Cheng Chung-wai, who will be its secretary general. The office will be responsible for ensuring a smooth transition of government, especially as there are a number of major events coming up, including celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule.
The office will also liaise with different sectors of the community and take part in various official activities.
Lee has said that his priority is to form his governing team, adding that he would be looking for talent to take up the top jobs in the new administration.
“I will recruit experienced, capable and passionate people to join my governing team,” he said.
Sources said Lee was expected to look beyond serving officials and top civil servants, preferring instead to identify people with expertise to help him deliver on his promise of a “result-oriented” administration.
He was also expected to travel to Beijing to receive his formal letter of appointment, though Beijing’s pandemic control measures may hinder those plans.
He will be officially sworn in on July 1. Usually, a state leader presides over the swearing-in ceremony for the new chief executive and members of the new administration. In 2017, President Xi Jinping came to Hong Kong for the swearing-in of Carrie Lam. It is not known if Xi or another state leader will come for Lee’s inauguration, as Hong Kong grapples with the pandemic.
After the ceremony, Lee and his wife, Janet Lam Lai-sim, are expected to move into Government House. The mansion is located on a sprawling 24,000 square metre plot on Government Hill in Central, and was previously the official residence and office of British colonial governors.