Outgoing Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng yesterday met with Chief Executive-elect Sam Hou Fai where Ho pledged that the current government team will fully support Sam in forming his own team, according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) yesterday.
During the meeting at Government Headquarters yesterday morning, according to the statement, both expressed their commitment to maintaining close communication and cooperation with the aim of ensuring a smooth transition from the outgoing to the incoming administration.
The election of the sixth-term chief executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) was held at the Services Platform Complex for Commercial and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (aka Forum Macao Complex) on Sunday morning, where Sam, the sole candidate, garnered 394 of the 398 votes cast by the 400-member Chief Executive Election Committee, or 98.99 percent of the ballots cast, with two electors absent. There were four blank and no invalid votes.
During yesterday’s meeting, the GCS statement said, Ho once again congratulated Sam on his election as the sixth-term chief executive with a “substantial” number of votes.
Soon after Sam was elected on Sunday morning, Ho expressed his “sincere” congratulations on his election as Macau’s next chief executive, through a GCS statement.
According to yesterday’s statement, Ho noted during yesterday’s meeting that after the completion of the necessary statutory procedures for the final confirmation of the election results, the local government will then submit a report on the election results to the Central People’s Government requesting its appointment of Sam as the MSAR’s sixth-term chief executive.
The results of a chief executive election are required to be submitted to the Court of Final Appeal (TUI) for confirmation, after which the court will then publish the results in the Official Gazette (BO).
Sunday’s GCS statement noted that in compliance with the relevant provisions of the MSAR Basic Law and the Chief Executive Election Law, after the Court of Final Appeal confirms Sunday’s election results and publishes them in the Official Gazette, the local government will then submit a report on the election results to the Central People’s Government requesting the appointment of Sam as the MSAR’s next chief executive. After his appointment and until his swearing-in ceremony on December 20, Sam will be Macau’s Chief Executive-designate.
Yesterday’s GCS statement quoted Ho as saying during yesterday’s meeting that he will order all public entities to fully cooperate with Sam and support him in forming his administration, by providing all necessary equipment and other resources.
According to the statement, Ho also underlined yesterday that his government will continue to push ahead with its measures and various other kinds of work in line with its plans, with the aim of consolidating the solid foundation that the MSAR has achieved and maintaining the city’s social stability and development, adding that this will create a safe and harmonious environment for Macau to welcome the 25th Anniversary of its return to the motherland and for Sam’s administration to take office.
During yesterday’s meeting, Sam expressed his gratitude for Ho’s congratulations and the current government team’s preparations aiming to ensure a smooth transition from the outgoing to the incoming administration.
According to the statement, Sam pledged that he and his team will maintain close communication with Ho’s office with the aim of ensuring a smooth and orderly transition from the current to the future administration.
Sam, the former president of the Court of Final Appeal (TUI), will be sworn in as the MSAR’s sixth-term and fourth chief executive on December 20, the 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland.
Macau’s first and second chief executive, Edmund Ho Hau Wah and Fernando Chui Sai On, served two consecutive five-year terms, the maximum allowed under the MSAR Basic Law.
Ho Iat Seng announced on August 21 that for health reasons he was not seeking a second five-year term.
In the previous election in 2019 when all 400 members of the election committee attended, Ho Iat Seng was elected by 392 of them, or 98 percent of the votes cast.
In the 2014 election when Chui was re-elected, he obtained 95.96 percent of the ballots, while he won 95.27 percent of the votes in his first election in 2009.
In the 2004 election when Edmund Ho was re-elected, he garnered 296 of the 299 votes cast by the then 300-member Chief Executive Election Committee, or 99.00 percent of the ballots cast.
Current Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (right) shakes hands with Chief Executive-elect Sam Hou Fai on the sidelines of their meeting at Government Headquarters yesterday. – Photo: GCS
