CE election not addressed during Xia Baolong’s visit – Ho Iat Seng

Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said Xia Baolong, Beijing’s top official in charge of Macau and Hong Kong affairs, did not address the upcoming election for the head of government of the SAR during his week-long tour of Macau, which concluded on Sunday.

“During this visit, there was no reference concerning the coming Chief Executive elections. We will follow all laws and regulations on the election procedure and relevant steps to be taken,” Ho Iat Seng said at a press conference on Sunday, where he addressed the takeaways from Xia’s visit.

Asked by journalists if he had reached a decision on whether he will seek a second term, Ho said he doesn’t have anything to share with the public yet at this stage.

The 400-strong electoral college, which will choose the SAR’s Chief Executive for a new five-year term slated to begin on December 20, 2024, will be elected on August 11.

According to the schedule announced by the election panel, legal persons eligible to vote may register as candidates for the election committee from June 18 to July 2.

The Chief Executive election itself is set to take place in October the earliest.

Five years ago, the Chief Executive Election Committee was selected on June 16, with Ho Iat Seng being elected in a single-candidate ballot on August 25, 2019.