Hong Kong's Number 2 government official, chief secretary Carrie Lam, resigned on Thursday and declared she was preparing a bid for the city's top leadership job.
"There is only one reason for me to resign at this juncture, and that is, if my resignation is approved by the Central People's Government, I intend to prepare to contest in the upcoming chief executive election," she said.
Carrie Lam tendered her resignation to chief executive Leung Chun-ying and asked him to submit it to Beijing for approval.
The labor and welfare secretary, Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will become the acting chief secretary.
Hong Kong leaders are chosen by a 1,200-member panel, which is scheduled to make its top pick in March.
So far, three people, including Carrie Lam, have publicly declared their intention to run for the job.
