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Editorial: CY Leung vs. Carrie Lam is a waste of breath|Apple Daily Hong Kong

蘋果日報 2021/06/12 10:34


By Fong Yuen
After the CCP “improved” Hong Kong’s electoral system, Hong Kong has been engaged in a Chief Executive skirmish. The Leung camp has shot verbal bullets one after another, while Carrie Lam, on the receiving end and with no queen’s guard by her side, could only throw punches back with her own fists. It is equally pathetic on both sides.
Neither Leung Chun-ying (CY Leung) nor Carrie Lam will be chosen as the next Chief Executive. This is a fact, as clear as crystal, for Hongkongers, only those two are blinded by their own obsessions.
To call it a waste of breath is not because these two are not patriotic enough or trying hard enough, but because they are both of no value to the CCP at this point. With no value, why would the CCP still employ these two defeated generals?
CY Leung and Carrie Lam are similar in that they are both blindly loyal to the CCP; both would never hesitate to hurt Hong Kong for their own vanity and power; both love the power of being government officials to feed their ego; both have only ever harmed Hong Kong without any contribution to the economy or people’s livelihoods; both love to play the house of cards and step on their own kind in order to advance; during their terms in office, both concocted big messes. CY Leung conjured up and broadcasted the issue of “Hong Kong independence”, which led to the Occupy Central Movement, while Carrie Lam brought about the Anti-ELAB Movement that shocked the world.
Both have immense confidence in themselves, yet they have only made Hong Kong increasingly chaotic. CY Leung started the practice of suppressing peaceful protests with violence, which increased the conflicts between the people and the officials. Carrie Lam’s amendment to the extradition law cooked up a political turmoil that was only stabilized after the CCP was forced to yank out a National Security Law and largely amend the electoral system, which led to heavy political prices to pay.
If the CCP has the ability to self-reflect, it would be aware that for Hong Kong to end up in such a mess, and to put the CCP in a losing position on both sides all came down to bad employment.
Through the hands of Carrie Lam, the CCP is almost done with the purge of the active members of the anti-ELAB movement. With them charged and locked up, these people would be history when the next Chief Executive election rolls around. For any civil disobedience in the future, the National Security Law is the answer. After “improving” the electoral system, the government has both the Legislative Council and District Council in its palm. After oath-taking and cleansing, all government departments are subservient and obedient. Therefore, after completing this term, Carrie Lam will have nothing left on her to-do list.
For the remainder of her term, the CCP is making Carrie Lam complete all the deplorable acts of trampling on Hongkongers and bear all of the people’s grievances, just as Xi Jinping put it, “whoever caused the trouble will clean it up.” The CCP obviously would not give Carrie Lam the credit of stabilizing the Hong Kong situation.
Carrie Lam has long been on the receiving end of universal condemnation, and her polls could only get even lower. The business sector is disgusted with her. The grassroot is only tolerating her on the surface. Who knows what else she would stir up, and what kind of problems she would create for the CCP should she remain for another term?
As for CY Leung. He is all empty, with grand talks and no real action. He has not struck a chord with the business sector for a long time, and has no relationship with the grassroots people. For many years, his encouragement of whistling blowing, attacks Apple Daily’s advertisements, and all the other “bullsxt” catty acts, have exposed his small-mindedness, improvidence, and fatuity. The unexplained inflow of money during his term in office brought about rumors of spies. If the CCP goes with CY Leung once more, it would only prove that there is truly no one else.
The CCP is facing difficulties both at home and abroad. It has recently adjusted its wolf warrior diplomacy, while the world has continued to put pressure on the Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan issues. There is still no way around for the CCP, and has left it with the only option of putting up a different façade. From this point on, the CCP is likely to pay attention to mending its relationship with Hongkongers. The CCP is a pragmatist through and through. Every policy is based on its impact on the unification of the country. Since the “reliable, admirable, and respectable” image has to be put up, those evil and wicked faces must not be employed. Hence, these “fighters-for-hire” like CY Leung and Carrie Lam are used and done.
The image of Hong Kong can only be changed with someone with a new image. Such a person should have a light political slant, but exude strong professionalism. Such a person would be the peacemaker between mainland China and Hong Kong, and a mediator between Hongkongers and the CCP. Such a person would put the most effort into the economy and people’s livelihood in order to alleviate the conflicts between the two systems. After the June 4 tragedy, Li Peng did not get his promotion, and it was the relatively unknown Jiang Zemin who took over. That was a move to alleviate the pain in society, rather than reuse the person who has a blood debt and low popularity.
Mr. Lam Hang-chi’s speculation that Charles Li Xiaojia has a chance is indeed reasonable. Since leaving the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, nobody knows the whereabouts of Charles Li. For someone of financial expertise and international vision, it is unusual to be laying low for this long. It cannot be ruled out that he is currently being ordered to keep a low profile and bide time, to stay away from the politics of Hong Kong and stay relatively unscathed. Without a burden, he would run in the next Chief Executive election. At that time, neither the left nor the right would be apprehensive towards him, such that he could gather all factions to clean up this mess of Hong Kong, and safeguard this glistening precious land on behalf of the CCP. Compared to Leung and Lam, isn’t this far more likely?
On that account, CY Leung and Carrie Lam, save your breaths, go home, and straighten out your remaining days.
This article is translated from Chinese by Apple Daily.
Click here for Chinese version
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