Macao’s incumbent chief executive and candidate for reelection Edmund Ho Hau Wah met face-to-face with young people from 40 youth societies and institutes of higher learning on Sunday. The dialogue took place as Ho is in the midst of the two-week election campaign.

Representatives of the various organizations suggested that Ho create more spaces for youth activities and entertainment, and more opportunities for social service and work experience. They also suggested that public education be offered to resist negative influences from the city’s gaming industry.

Ho said that if he is reelected, he will see to it that the second Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government appropriates more resources and funding for juvenile education, and that representatives from youth societies be included in the government’s consultations on policy.

“You are the future administrators of the Macao SAR. It doesn’t matter that young people are likely to make mistakes. The key is to keep the spirit of patriotism and maintain social justice,” said Ho.

He told the group that China’s central government provides unconditional assistance to Macao’s development. It is the responsibility of the young people to contribute their share to the development of the SAR and the motherland. Macao’s tradition of patriotism should be carried forward from generation to generation.

Ho is on a two-week election campaign running for his second term. He won 297 election committee members’ nomination endorsements, or 99 percent, to become the sole candidate in the upcoming election on August 29.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2004)