CE-elect pledges fresh start

(March 26, 2017)

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Voiceover:
Obtaining 777 votes, Carrie Lam won the Chief Executive Election.
Speaking after the results were announced, Mrs Lam said she will work to unite the community.

Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam:
Hong Kong, our home, is suffering from quite a serious divisiveness and has accumulated a lot of frustration. My priority will be to heal the divide and to ease the frustration – and to unite our society to move forward.
To me, unity must be built step by step on solid ground. It is through real work and actual results that I will respond to those who support me, and garner the recognition of those yet to support me. Deeds speak louder than words.

Voiceover:
Mrs Lam said she will meet with legislators and will communicate regularly with them.
She said she will invite talented people to join her team, regardless of their political affiliation.

Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam:
In forming my governance team, my principle is to attract talent widely and on merit. Anyone with a sincere wish to serve, the ability, and the commitment, regardless of political affiliation, I shall invite to join my team.
I will tell every member of my team to listen to and work with the people in reaching collective decisions and taking action. Only in this way will we achieve real consensus and gain the widest support from society.

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She also pledged to safeguard Hong Kong's core values.

Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam:
Hong Kong is a diverse society, with different views coexisting. 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.
As your Chief Executive, I shall do my utmost to uphold 'one country, two systems' and to guard our core values. These values are the reason we love Hong Kong, our home, so much. They also make our society lively and creative. I welcome and indeed encourage the spectrum of voices. Through substantive collaboration, we will show that different views can respect each other, work together, and heal the divisiveness.
This will not be easy. The future administration will have other equally, if not even more difficult, tasks. We will prioritise; we will also be smart about leveraging the forces of the Government, civil society, as well as the public at large.
Looking ahead to the next five years, there will be plenty of work and the problems will not be easy to overcome. My heart remains the same, only more humble. I look forward to our road ahead. Through caring, listening and taking action, we will build an even better Hong Kong.

Voiceover:
Nearly 1,200 Election Committee members cast their votes in the poll, representing a turnout rate of 99.33%.
Mrs Lam's 777 votes were followed by John Tsang with 365, and Woo Kwok-hing with 21.

Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam has pledged to start a new chapter for Hong Kong by forming an administration that will work with the public to create a better society.

Speaking after being elected the fifth-term Chief Executive today, Mrs Lam said: "Here, with humility, I stand as the Chief Executive-elect of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, and ready to begin a new chapter in our journey together."

She said her priority will be to address the divisiveness and accumulated frustrations the community has recently been suffering from.

“To me, unity must be built step by step,” Mrs Lam said, adding she will try to garner the recognition of those who have yet to give her their support.

She said she will man her administrative team with the best talent, regardless of their political views.

“Anyone with a sincere wish to serve, the ability and the commitment regardless of political affiliations, I shall invite to join my team,” she said, adding they must listen to and work with the people to make collective decisions.

“Only in this way will we achieve real consensus and gain the widest support from the society."

Mrs Lam also pledged to do her utmost to uphold "one country, two systems" and safeguard Hong Kong's core values.

New chapter: Carrie Lam speaks after being elected the fifth-term Chief Executive.