Macao's chief executive candidate Edmund Ho Hau Wah went through a question and answer session on Saturday on his re-election policy.  

Ho took questions picked up through "luck-draws" by Jose Chu, chairman of the Macao Electoral Affairs Committee to select a total of 18 questions brought forward by members with the 300-strong Election Committee during the three-hour question session.

 

In an introduction speech, Ho said that since the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) government was founded in 1999, it has achieved a primary success in the practices of "one country, two systems," and this result proves the principle correct, scientific and bearing a thriving vitality.

 

Concerning questions on the legislative reform, Ho said that Macao has sustained the Portuguese law system after its return to China. It has become a common concern to update the legal system based on the current situation in Macao.

 

He believed that the next administration should push forward a series of legalization including the National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill, known as the Article 23 of the Basic Law.

 

Answering questions on human resources, Ho said with the development of the regional cooperation in Macao's surrounding regions, there follow more frequent personnel exchanges and a smoother flow of labor force.

 

Under the pre-condition of protecting local employment, the MSAR government would help businesses solve the shortage of professionals and workers by adjusting related regulations on importing human resources.

 

Ho is in his two-week election campaign running for the second term, after winning 297 Election Committee members' endorsement forms, or 99 percent for the chief executive candidature nomination to become the sole candidate in the upcoming election on Aug. 29.

 

At the question session, Ho answered questions covering from education reform, social morale, the administrative and judiciary reform, training of professionals to social welfare for senior people raised by the Election Committee members.

 

He said that his wisdom came from consultations with government officials, scholars, experts and common folks. If he could be trusted and supported by Macao people to run for the second term, he would lead the second MSAR government to turn concepts in his re-election policy into practices.

 

He added that due to the time limit in the question session, he could not take all the questions, but he would be willing to continue dialogs with the committee members in the ensuing campaign activities.

 

Ho Hau Wah published his re-election policy with the theme of "Building a high-quality society and creating a beautiful future" on Friday, which set forth governing policies and principles concerning politics, economy, society and education.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2004)