Hong Kong’s Supreme Leader, Carrie Lam, is not running for a second term. On Monday, she told the press: “On June 30, I will end my 5-year tenure as chief executive and officially conclude my 42-year career in government.”

Under Lam, the influence of the Chinese government from Beijing on Hong Kong has greatly increased. As a result, many city residents have taken to the streets to demonstrate against it in recent years.

In February, Lam postponed the elections initially scheduled for March 27. That happened because of a severe omikron outbreak, which has left Hong Kong with overcrowded hospitals and morgues. It is the worst corona outbreak in the city since the pandemics start.

In addition, relatively many older people in Hong Kong are not vaccinated. The elections are now scheduled for May 8.