Macau to choose new (pro Beijing) head of government

67-year-old Ho Iat Seng has announced that for health reasons he will not run again. On October 13, the 400 members of the Election Committee will choose a strictly patriotic successor. Meanwhile, the resumption of casinos has started to boost revenue again in the former Portuguese colony, since 1999 a Special Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, like Hong Kong. 

Macau (AsiaNews) - The Macau Special Administrative Region will have a new chief executive, the fourth since the former Portuguese colony returned under the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China in 1999.

Confirmation came yesterday when the current local government leader, 67-year-old Ho Iat Seng, announced that - unlike his two predecessors - he will not serve a second five-year term, citing health reasons as the explanation.

Similar to Hong Kong, in Macau-a territory with a population of nearly 700,000-the chief executive is not the expression of a universal suffrage vote, but remains a de facto proxy governor from Beijing. Under local law, he is to be elected by an Election Committee of about 400 local establishment figures, an expression of bodies linked to the People's Republic and from business groups. Voting for the new term was already set for Oct. 13.

According to the Basic Law, the local mini-constitution, the chief executive must be a Chinese citizen who is over 40 years old and has resided continuously in Macau for no less than 20 years. 

The new law came into effect after the events in Hong Kong today specifies that he or she will also have to be vetted for his or her political credentials: each candidate will have to sign a declaration of allegiance to Beijing, as well as to the Special Administrative Region, in addition to obtaining the support of at least 66 members of the Election Committee.

So far the only one to announce his candidacy has been local businessman Jorge Chiang, who heads the Macau Institutionalism Association and the Macau Lotus Commerce Association.

Local sources do not give him much chance of success, however, in an election in which Beijing's chosen candidate is obviously the winner. In this sense, the most credited name today to succeed Ho Iat Seng is that of Sam Hou Fai, a 62-year-old Guangdong native judge who has presided over the Macau High Court of Appeal since 1999.

A handover is expected to take place under the banner of continuity, Macau having so far never been shaken by the political tensions that have characterized the recent past of the former British colony on the opposite side of the Pearl River Delta.

The real challenge, however, remains over the future of the former Portuguese colony, where so far the “one country two systems” formula has only been a smokescreen for continuing to be the Las Vegas of the East, thanks to its casinos banned in the People's Republic of China but here frequented by wealthy “travelers” from mainland China.

Gambling house revenues are still the basis of much of the revenue (over 80 percent) of the Special Autonomous Region, which is why they have had to deal heavily in recent years with the zero Covid policy and its consequences.

Now “the nightmare” seems to be over and casinos have begun to drive the local economy again: official figures speak of 51.62 billion pataca (.43 billion ed.) in tax revenue from gaming revenues in the first seven months of 2024, an increase of 15.2 percent over the same period last year; jobs in the sector have also begun to grow again, with as many as 52,518 people now employed full-time in casinos.

Diversification of the economy also remains an imperative for Chinese authorities, who would like to grow Macau as a hub for luxury tourism, conventions and major events, with a particular focus on Portuguese-speaking countries. But its present still remains mainly roulette and slot machines.

RED LANTERNS IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO CHINA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY THURSDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.

• Red
• Lanterns