Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Monday (April 4) said officially that she will not be running for a second term, paving the way for the city's No. 2, Chief Secretary John Lee, to make his bid for the post.
Mrs Lam, 64, made the announcement at the start of her daily Covid-19 briefing.
"I will complete my five-year term as chief executive on June 30 this year and I will also call an end to my 42 years of public service," she said.
Mrs Lam said her intention to not seek another term was made to the central authorities early last year.
"The only consideration behind my decision is my family. As I've always said, my family takes precedence over everything and they all think that it's time for me to return to family and this is my sole consideration."
The outgoing chief executive added that she has not decided what she will do after her term wraps up.
Over the weekend, local media said Mr Lee, 64, looks highly likely to run for the top job, with former chief executive Leung Chun Ying to become the chief convener of the influential 1,500-strong Election Committee that picks the city's next leader.
As chief convener, Mr Leung will hold committee meetings when necessary and can call a meeting when there are election-related issues that cannot be resolved by law, doing away with the need to get the National People's Congress Standing Committee to weigh in.
