Macao SAR elects new chief executive-designate

Sam Hou-fai (right), who was elected the chief executive-designate of the Macao Special Administrative Region, shakes hands with a member of the election committee in Macao on Sunday. [ZHENG JIAWEI/CHINA NEWS SERVICE]

Macao's former top judge Sam Hou-fai was elected on Sunday as the sixth chief executive-designate of the Macao Special Administrative Region, garnering 394 votes from the 400-member election committee.

During a post-election media briefing, Sam pledged to dedicate all his efforts to meeting the expectations of Macao's residents, and vowed to seize opportunities to drive the city's prosperity.

The voting, which began at around 10 am, ended within 30 minutes, with 398 members casting ballots at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex. According to Macao's Chief Executive Election Law, a candidate must obtain more than 200 votes to secure the win.

Pending approval by the central government, Sam, 62, is set to succeed incumbent Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng on Dec 20 for a five-year term.

Sam pledged to adhere to the "one country, two systems" principle, prioritize national security and development interests, and foster Macao's deeper integration with national development.

"Every word of encouragement from the public has touched me deeply, and it is your support that has instilled confidence in me," Sam told a room full of election committee members.

"Standing here today, all sorts of feelings well up in my mind. My life trajectory has always been closely intertwined with that of the country and Macao, with a shared fate and future," Sam said.

Sam, who has lived in Macao for 38 years, started his family in the city and now has three generations under one roof, and he built a career in the city.

With so much support, Sam said he is committed to advancing the comprehensive development of Macao's society, economy and culture, as well as residents' well-being.

Sam said he will persist in a pragmatic approach, and his focus will remain on upholding social equity and justice, safeguarding livelihoods and enhancing public welfare.

The new-term government will address public needs through initiatives such as revitalizing old districts and enhancing residents' living conditions, he added.

Furthermore, Sam said he plans to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in expanding online sales, and will collaborate with the business sector to upgrade the business environment.

Congratulations for Sam and the city poured in following the election.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said the successful conclusion of the election, at a time when the city is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its return to the motherland, showed Macao's genuine upholding of the "one country, two systems "principle and its confidence in its development path and achievements made in the past 25 years.

The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region said the election was a landmark as the first important vote held under the newly amended Chief Executive Election Law. The conclusion of the election is a living embodiment and successful practice of "one country, two systems", the liaison office said.

In congratulating Sam, incumbent Chief Executive Ho said that Sam's political platform received recognition and support from all sections of society.

Ho said he believes that the next chief executive will effectively lead the SAR government and the community to steadily advance the practice of "one country, two systems" and promote fresh advances for the city's next phase of development.

John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, extended his congratulations to Sam, saying that he has every confidence in working closely with Sam to achieve mutual benefits for Hong Kong and Macao, giving full play to the cities' strengths to serve the country.

Many members of the election committee also expressed high hopes for Sam to lead Macao to make progress in areas including economic diversification and governance transparency and efficiency, boosting childbirth and providing care for children and the elderly.

Sam, who was born in Guangdong province in 1962, moved to Macao in the 1980s and joined the city's first group of judicial auditors in 1995.

He was appointed president of Macao's Court of Final Appeal on Dec 20, 1999, and held the post for nearly 25 years until Aug 28.

Stephy Zhang contributed to this story.