Potential leaders of Macau on committee for handover
Casino magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun and three likely candidates for the post of chief executive are among 881 members of a special handover celebration committee set up at the weekend.
The Committee of the Various Sectors of Macau for the Celebration Activities of the Return of Macau to the People's Republic of China was formally established on Saturday and headed by Ma Man-kei, president of the powerful Macau Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Its long name list, comprising several Buddhist, Catholic and Protestant clerics and several dozen Macanese, was published yesterday.
It includes bankers Edmund Ho Hau-wah and Stanley Au Chong-kit, and toy manufacturer Eric Yeung Tsun-man, seen as likely candidates for the post of chief executive. None of the three has announced an intention to run. Applications for the post will be accepted from April 12-17, after the establishment of a 200-member Selection Committee early next month.
The Selection Committee will choose the first chief executive and recommend him to Beijing for formal appointment.
A spokesman said the celebration committee would organise events such as karaoke sessions, handover awareness seminars, sporting events and children's parties.
Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama will visit Beijing in May to solve the remaining problems over the transition.
These include the setting-up of a Court of Final Appeal and the establishment of a Chinese garrison in Macau, and preparation for the handover celebrations, according to Portuguese official reports.
