Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng recently announced that he will not seek re-election due to health reasons. Three days before the statement was released, Ho met with the Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party, Shi Taifeng, who was visiting Macau for inspection. Political analysts believe that Ho Iat Seng is well aware that his position as Chief Executive is completely appointed by Beijing, and once Beijing demands his resignation, he will be immediately replaced. In addition, some scholars point out that the only criterion for selecting the Chief Executive by the Chinese Communist Party is loyalty to the CCP leader.
On August 21st, Ho Iat Seng issued a statement announcing that he will not be running for the next term as Chief Executive. He cited ongoing health issues as the reason for his decision not to participate in the Chief Executive election.
The new term Chief Executive election in Macau is scheduled for October 13th. The Macau Chief Executive Election Management Committee announced on August 16th that the nomination period will run from August 29th to September 12th.
Ho Iat Seng becomes the first Chief Executive of Macau since the handover to the Chinese Communist Party to not seek re-election, while his predecessors Fernando Chui and Ho Hau Wah both served two terms. Public records show that Ho Iat Seng was born in Macau in June 1957 and took office as the fifth Chief Executive of Macau in December 2019.
Since June 21st this year, Ho Iat Seng started his vacation originally planned for 13 days, but the vacation extended until July 19th. On July 20th, the Macau government announced that Ho Iat Seng would continue his leave. Ho Iat Seng has been on continuous leave for 39 days. This prolonged vacation has sparked public concerns and speculation about his intention to seek re-election.
About an hour and a half after Ho Iat Seng announced his withdrawal from the re-election, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council of China issued an article signed as “Hong Kong and Macau Flat”. The article claimed that in the 25 years since Macau’s sovereignty was handed over to China, “brilliant achievements” have been made, and the new Chief Executive and the SAR government will continue to advance the so-called successful implementation of “one country, two systems”.
Before announcing his decision not to seek re-election, Ho Iat Seng had just met with Shi Taifeng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, and Minister of the United Front Work Department. Shi Taifeng visited Macau on August 17th to 18th. During the meeting with Ho Iat Seng, Shi Taifeng emphasized that Macau is a model example of the practice of “one country, two systems”.
Political commentator Lan Shu told Epoch Times reporters on August 23rd that it is clear to an astute observer that Beijing has found someone it can trust more to replace Ho Iat Seng.
Lan Shu said that Ho Iat Seng is well aware that his position as Chief Executive of Macau is entirely at the discretion of Beijing. If Beijing intends for him to serve a certain period, he will do so; once Beijing requests his resignation, he will be replaced immediately. He understands that if he tries to resist, it will only cause trouble and endanger his family. Therefore, as soon as the CCP approached him for a discussion, he immediately complied without hesitation and withdrew his candidacy.
The popular candidates for the next Chief Executive of Macau include the President of the Macau Court of Final Appeal, Sam Hou Fai, Secretary for Administration and Justice Zhang Rongshun, and Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak. These three individuals were all born in mainland China and have no backgrounds in the business sector.
Regarding his intention to run for the next Chief Executive election, Sam Hou Fai responded on August 22nd that he is considering it. It is reported that Sam Hou Fai is expected to announce his candidacy this weekend and is likely to be the only candidate.
Public records show that the 62-year-old Sam Hou Fai, born in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, graduated from Peking University Law School and later studied language and law at a university in Portugal. He returned to Macau in 1993, became one of the first judicial members of the court in 1995, and worked in the courts and prosecution offices. In 1997, he was appointed as a judge of the Macau General Jurisdiction Court and later became a member of the Macau Judicial Council.
Sam Hou Fai is currently the President of the Macau Court of Final Appeal and holds multiple positions, including Chairman of the Judicial Committee, member of the Independent Committee for Recommending Judges, member of the Regional Judicial Assistance and International Judicial Cooperation Task Force, and Honorary President of the Macau Basic Law Promotion Association.
Zhang Rongshun and Wong Sio Chak are also popular candidates in the Chief Executive election. Zhang Rongshun, 57, born in Beijing, holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from Beijing Foreign Studies University and a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Macau, currently serving as the Secretary for Administration and Justice in Macau.
Wong Sio Chak, 56, born in Guangdong Province, China, holds a bachelor’s and a Ph.D. in law from Peking University. He previously held positions such as Director of the Judicial Police and Assistant Prosecutor General in Macau.
Apart from not being native Macau residents, these three popular Chief Executive candidates do not come from business family backgrounds. In 1999, after the Chinese Communist Party took over Macau’s sovereignty, Edmund Ho became the first Chief Executive. Edmund Ho is the son of Ho Yin, a prominent figure in one of the three major families in Macau’s business community.
The second Chief Executive of Macau, Fernando Chui, is also a descendant of the Chui family, one of the three major families in Macau, with a background in the business sector.
The current Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, comes from a family with close ties to the business sector; his father, Ho Tin, founded Ho Tin Industries Limited as early as 1956.
Some views believe that Sam Hou Fai, Zhang Rongshun, and Wong Sio Chak were all born and educated in mainland China before moving to Macau and assuming official positions. This background makes them more likely to gain the trust of Beijing.
Feng Chongyi, a China expert and associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney, stated in an interview with Epoch Times reporters on August 23rd that the Chinese Communist Party does not care about the candidates’ birthplaces. Loyalty is the only criterion for the CCP to select the Chief Executive, and they will continue to find candidates who satisfy their requirements. He said that the CCP authorities no longer abide by any rules, all decisions are made privately behind the scenes.
He added that Hong Kong has completely fallen, and the CCP is determined to exercise comprehensive control. The CCP’s goal is to implement full control, and for the CCP, the so-called “one country, two systems” is no longer relevant; they will use the Hong Kong model to control Macau.