Macau will hold a chief executive election this year, with the Chief Executive election management committee revealing on Monday that it will be held in October at the earliest.
Court of Final Appeal judge Song Man Lei will become the chairman of the management committee, it revealed in the Official Gazette.
In an interview, Song said nominations for the election committee to oversee the Chief Executive election will take place on 11 August, and as the law stipulates that at least 60 days must elapse between the nominations and the date of the Chief Executive election, it is expected that the election will take place in October at the earliest.
The term of office of Macau’s Chief Executive is five years, with the incumbent Ho Iat Seng having first been elected in 2019. In the second year of his election, Macau was hit by COVID, dealing a massive blow to the SAR’s gaming and tourism industries and as such the Macau economy.
Despite this, Ho’s first term also has also seen him successfully oversee the re-tendering process for gaming concessions, implement a new gaming law and revamp the city’s junket and satellite casino industries.
It is not yet known whether Ho will stand again in this year’s election or whether there will be any other candidates put forward.
