Lam, Hong Kong's first female leader, took office promising to heal divisions and tackle livelihood issues, especially a housing crisis.

Her term was instead dominated by massive pro-democracy protests and Beijing's subsequent crackdown, as well as a zero-COVID pandemic strategy that kept the city isolated while its rivals reopened.

She is on track to depart at the end of June with the lowest approval rating of any leader since the 1997 handover from the United Kingdom.

In her final policy address in October 2021, Lam described Hong Kong as "much stronger than ever" after China intervened to ensure stability.

Her government survived the mass protests, but many say she failed to deliver on her life improvement pledges, which even the Chinese leadership says are at the heart of the city's "deep-rooted social conflicts".

Last year, 1.65 million Hong Kongers, or nearly one in four people, were living below the official poverty line of HK$4,400 (US$560) a month for a one-person household, the highest level since records began 12 years ago.

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