Published : 2024-05-15
On May 15, 1999, Edmund Ho Hau Wah (何厚鏵) was elected as the first Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region.
The election started at 10:20 am that day. After the voting process, the head of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Tong Chi Kin(唐志堅), announced that the election was valid and then began counting the votes.
By 11:30 am, Edmund Ho had already received 100 votes, more than half. At 11:50 am, Tong Chi Kin announced that Edmund Ho had secured 163 votes, far exceeding the other candidate, Au Chong-kit (區宗傑).
After confirmation by the Macao SAR Preparatory Committee, Chairman Qian Qichen (錢其琛) announced Edmund Ho's victory on the spot and proposed that the Central Government make the appointment.
In his speech, Qian Qichen pointed out that in just over half a year, Macao would return to China and the Special Administrative Region would be established. This is a significant event for all Chinese people and the world, as well as a new era for people in Macao.
Edmund Ho, at a press conference held after the election, promised to firmly implement "One Country, Two Systems" (一國兩制), strictly execute the Basic Law, serve the Macao citizens with all his might, ensure a smooth transition for Macao, strive for prosperity and progress, and called for everyone's cooperation, unity, continuous self-improvement, and joint efforts to build the future.
