On Sunday March 26th, 2017, Carrie Lam was elected Chief Executive of Hong Kong. She managed to win over Woo Kwok-hing, a retired Judge, and John Tsang, a Hong Kong Financial Secretary.

In Carrie’s election speech, when referring to the country’s principles she stated “values such as inclusiveness, freedoms of the press and of speech, respect for human rights, and systems which have taken generations to establish, such as the independent judiciary, rule of law and clean government, are matters that we Hong Kong people find precious and are proud of.”

She was elected by approximately 777 votes in the midst of a 1,194 Election Committee and is widely supported by the Communist Party of China.

While many citizens of Beijing view her as a trustworthy and loyal woman, there are many citizens of Hong Kong who are not entirely trusting of her. The citizens of Hong Kong view her ties to China as a threat that could turn the country entirely away from success.

This was, however, an election that was decided by an Election Committee. Protestors have made their minds clear that they do not believe the government has been defending their fundamental rights. Through the years many protestors have petitioned for free elections, most famous the 2014 (Umbrella Revolution). These protests, while many have threatened the government, have been mostly unsuccessful as a result of police intervention.

Hopefully, Hong Kong’s New Chief Executive keeps her vows to retain the fundamental values held by the many citizens of Hong Kong.