Carrie Lam elected as Hong Kong's chief executive

Hong Kong: Former deputy leader Carrie Lam has been elected as Hong Kong's new Chief Executive, becoming its first female leader with 777 voters from a 1,194-member election committee chose her over rivals Woo Kwok-hing and John Tsang.

Lam, 59, was the city's no.2 official before joining the leadership race. She suffered low popularity ratings throughout her campaign, with critics calling her a copy of incumbent leader Leung Chun-ying and warning that she would adopt Leung's "combative' approach in governance, according to (Hong Kong Free Press). 

She dubbed "the fighter" by media, was once the most popular official in the cabinet of staunchly pro-Beijing incumbent chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, who in 2012 won a similar election restricted to just 1,200 voters.

Police were seen trying to push back protesters with a group of demonstrators seen trying to break the police cordon outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where voting took place.