Macau's new leader to be elected October 13

Michael Shum

Macau's leader for the next five years will be elected on October 13, the enclave's government announced yesterday.

The election will be conducted by the newly elected 400-member electoral college.

Macau's Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng added that each candidate's campaign budget set at around 6.44 million patacas (HK$6.25 million).

However, the dates for the nomination period have yet to be specified.

The 400 electoral college members were recently elected with a record-high voter turnout on Sunday.

The college includes prominent figures including Pansy Ho Chiu-king, chairwoman of MGM China, and Francis Lui Yiu-tung, vice chairman of Galaxy Entertainment. Former chief executive Fernando Chui Sai-on and former lawmaker Ho Teng-iat - Ho Iat-seng's sister - were also elected to the college.

Macau's chief executive elections have traditionally been a one-horse race, with the sole exception being in 1999 when pro-Beijing independent Edmund Ho Hau-wah defeated another independent, Stanley Au Chong-kit, for the top job.

In the 2019 election, Ho Iat-seng was the sole candidate and was able to secure a nomination from 378 electors, ultimately winning 98 percent of the total votes.

Incumbent Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng has not yet indicated whether he will seek re-election.

The only prominent figure who has signaled his intention to stand in the election is businessman Jorge Chiang, head of the Macau Institutionalism Association and the Macao Lotus Commerce Association.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com