Beijing loyalist John Lee elected as Hong Kong’s next leader

HONG KONG — John Lee was elected as Hong Kong’s next leader Sunday by an election committee comprised of nearly 1,500 largely pro-Beijing members.

Lee received 1,416 votes in the chief executive election, far exceeding the 751 votes needed to win. More than 97 percent of the Election Committee cast their votes in a secret ballot Sunday morning.

As the only candidate in the polls, Lee was expected to win, especially since he has Beijing’s endorsement and last month obtained 786 nominations from members of the Election Committee in support of his candidacy.

Lee will replace current leader Carrie Lam on July 1.

The election on Sunday follows major changes to Hong Kong’s electoral laws last year to ensure that only “patriots” loyal to Beijing can hold office. The legislature was also reorganized to all but eliminate opposition voices.

The elaborate arrangements surrounding the pre-determined outcome speak to Beijing’s desire for a veneer of democracy. Though they will vote in a secret ballot, Hong Kong’s electors have all been carefully vetted.

On Sunday morning, three members of the League of Social Democrats, a local activist group, protested the election by attempting to march toward the election venue while displaying a banner demanding universal suffrage that would allow Hong Kongers to vote both for the legislature and the chief executive.

“Human rights over power, the people are greater than the country,” the banner read. “One person, one vote for the chief executive. Immediately implement dual universal suffrage.”

One protester was handing out flyers before police arrived and cordoned off the protesters and the banner. Police also searched protesters’ belongings and took down their personal details, though no arrests were immediately made.

The pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong has long demanded universal suffrage, which they say is promised to the city in its mini-constitution, the Basic Law. It was also a key demand in the 2014 Umbrella…