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Former minister free to run for Macau chief executive

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The central government yesterday approved the resignation of Macau's culture minister, Fernando Chui Sai-on, allowing him to run in the city's chief executive election.

But analysts said Dr Chui, who resigned as the secretary for social and cultural affairs, still faced an uphill battle to win over residents concerned about graft.

Xinhua said the State Council had approved Dr Chui's request to resign, allowing him to become a candidate in the July 26 election. Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah heaped praise on Dr Chui, highlighting his achievements in education, sports, tourism and public health during his 10 years of service.

No one will succeed Dr Chui as secretary before the current government's term expires in December, the statement said. Officials who worked under him will report directly to Mr Ho.

Chief prosecutor Ho Chio-meng, widely seen as Dr Chui's main rival in the race, appears to have gained the upper hand in the battle for public support. Residents have voiced strong opposition to Dr Chui's candidacy on the city's popular internet forum, cyberctm.com. Views in discussion threads are overwhelmingly against Dr Chui, with many commentators pleading with Beijing to reassess the mood of public opinion.

A continuing internet poll asks residents to choose among four frontrunners. With 3,596 votes cast so far, Dr Ho has 2,246, or 62.4 per cent; Dr Chui has 447; Finance Minister Francis Tam Pak-yuen has 367; and industrialist Ho Iat-seng, who says he will not run, has 536.

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