Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam ruled out extending anti-bribery laws to cover her own chief executive position on Tuesday, breaking a promise she made while running for election in 2017.

Lam said that amending the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance was “not a priority” and she did not intend to tackle the issue within her term. The government could not overcome the difficulty of amending the law despite making attempts, she said during a press briefing.

An independent review committee published a report in 2012 that recommended the anti-bribery law be amended, so that sections 3 and 8 would be applied to the chief executive. The two sections related to “soliciting and accepting an advantage” and “bribery of public servants by persons having dealings with public bodies.”

Lam dismissed the notion on Tuesday, saying that amending the two sections could “end up with a very difficult situation for the chief executive to discharge his or her duties.”

Lam also defended the existing legal framework around the chief executive, saying that her position does not enjoy full discretionary power. The chief executive is constrained by other sections of the anti-bribery law besides section 3 and 8, as well as other laws, she said.

Asked if the central government would take any action on the matter, Lam said that the Basic Law clearly defines the relationship between the chief executive and Beijing.

“The chief executive is accountable to the central government, therefore if the central government sees any inappropriate behavior by the chief executive, it will take appropriate action. But I cannot say on its behalf what those actions may be,” Lam said.

During the 2017 chief executive election, Lam publicly pledged to amend sections 3 and 8 of the anti-bribery law so that they would apply to Hong Kong’s leader.

Lam is a tool for Beijing to control Hong Kong, said former lawmaker Helena Wong of the Democratic Party. Lam’s decision to go back on her word once again reflects her arrogance and hostility to public opinion, she told Apple Daily.

Wong in 2015 moved a legislative motion to extend the application of sections 3 and 8 of the anti-bribery law to the chief executive, which was later voted down.

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