Chief Executive of Macau

Chief Executive of Macao Special Administrative Region
澳門特別行政區行政長官 Chefe do Executivo da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau
Emblem of Macau
Incumbent Sam Hou Fai since 20 December 2024
Style	Chief Executive (特首, Chefe do Executivo) (informal) The Honourable (尊貴的, Sua Excelência) (formal)
Type	Head of government
Residence	Macau Government Headquarters
Nominator	Election Committee
Appointer	Central People's Government (Decree signed by Premier)
Term length	Five years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Macau Basic Law
Inaugural holder	Edmund Ho
Formation	20 December 1999 (1999-12-20)
Website	gce.gov.mo

Chief Executive of Macau
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	澳門特別行政區行政長官
Simplified Chinese	澳门特别行政区行政长官
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Àomén Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū Xíngzhèng Zhǎngguān Wade–Giles Ao4-mên2 Tʻê4-pieh2 Hsing2-cheng4-chü1 Hsing2-chêng4 Chang3-kuan1 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Oumún Hàhngjing Jéunggūn Jyutping Ou3mun2 Hang4zing3 Zoeng2gun1
Commonly abbreviated as
Traditional Chinese	澳門特首
Simplified Chinese	澳门特首
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Àomén Tèshǒu Wade–Giles Ao4-mên2 Tʻê4-shou3 Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Ou3mun2 dak6sau2
Portuguese name
Portuguese	Chefe do Executivo da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau da República Popular da China

The chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (Chinese: 澳門特別行政區行政長官; Portuguese: Chefe do Executivo da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau) is the head of government of Macau, a special administrative region of China. The position replaced the office of Governor of Macau, the former head of Macau as an overseas province of Portugal. Under the Basic Law of Macau, the chief executive's role is to:

...be the head of the Macau Special Administrative Region and shall represent the Region. The Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region shall be accountable to the Central People's Government and the Macau Special Administrative Region in accordance with the provisions of this Law.

The current chief executive is Sam Hou Fai. His office is located at the Macau Government Headquarters, formerly the Governor's House (from 1883-1926) and the Governor's office (from 1926 to 1999). The CE has used this as his office since 2009.

History

The office was created by the first session of the 8th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on 31 March 1993 and came into effect on 20 December 1999.

Election

Main article: List of Macanese Chief Executive elections

The chief executive is selected by election or through consultations held locally and must be appointed by the Central People's Government (State Council) headed by the Premier before taking office. The term of office of the chief executive shall be five years and may serve for not more than two consecutive terms.

Any candidate running for Chief Executive are required to satisfy the following requirements:

• has reached 40 years of age upon the end of the nomination period;
• is a permanent resident of Macau;
• is a Chinese citizen
• has no right of abode in any country other than the People’s Republic of China, or pledges to renounce his or her right of abode in any country other than the PRC before his or her inauguration;
• has ordinary resided in Macau upon the end of the nomination period; and
• is registered as an elector and logged onto the Registers, and is not a person without rights to stand for elections.

Powers

The powers of the chief executive are outlined in the region's Basic Law:

1. To lead the government of the region;
2. To be responsible for the implementation of this Law and other laws which, in accordance with this Law, apply in the Macau Special Administrative Region;
3. To sign bills passed by the Legislative Council and to promulgate laws; To sign budgets passed by the Legislative Council and report the budgets and final accounts to the Central People's Government for the record;
4. To decide on government policies and to issue executive orders;
5. To formulate the administrative regulations and promulgate them for implementation;
6. To nominate and to report to the Central People's Government for appointment the following principal officials: secretaries of departments, the commissioner against corruptions, the director of audit, the leading members of the police and the customs and excise; and to recommend to the Central People's Government the removal of the above-mentioned officials;
7. To appoint part of the members of the Legislative Council;
8. To appoint or remove members of the Executive Council;
9. To appoint or remove presidents and judges of the courts at all levels and procurators in accordance with legal procedures;
10. To nominate and report to the Central People's Government for appointment of the procurator-General and recommend to the Central People's Government the removal of the procurator-general in accordance with legal procedures;
11. To appoint or remove holders of public office in accordance with legal procedures;
12. To implement the directives issued by the Central People's Government in respect of the relevant matters provided for in this Law;
13. To conduct, on behalf of the Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region, external affairs and Other affairs as authorized by the Central Authorities;
14. To approve the introduction of motions regarding revenues or expenditure to the Legislative Council;
15. To decide, in the light of security and vital interests, whether government officials or other personnel in charge of government affairs should testify or give evidence before the Legislative Council or its committees;
16. To confer medals and titles of honour of the Macau Special Administrative Region in accordance with law;
17. To pardon persons convicted of criminal offences or commute their penalties in accordance with law; and
18. To handle petitions and complaints.

Resignation

Under Section 54 of the Basic Law, the chief executive can resign if:

1. When he or she loses the ability to discharge his or her duties as a result of serious illness or other reasons;
2. When, after the Legislative Council is dissolved because he or she twice refuses to sign a bill passed by it, the new Legislative Council again passes by a two-thirds majority of all the members the original bill in dispute, but he or she still refuses to sign it within 30 days; and
3. When, after the Legislative Council is dissolved because it refuses to pass a budget or any other bill concerning the overall interests of the Macau Special Administrative Region, the newly elected Legislative Council still refuses to pass the original bill in dispute.

Section 55 covers the temporary assignment of the role of the CE proceeding resignation.

List of chief executives

№	Portrait	Name Chinese name (Birth–Death)	Term of office Duration in years and days		Election	Political alignment	Term	Government (supporting parties)	Appointer (Premier)	Ref.
1		Edmund Ho 何厚鏵 (born 1955)	20 December 1999	19 December 2009	1999	Pro-Beijing	1	Ho E. I (UPP)	Zhu Rongji
					2004		2	Ho E. II (UPP • UIEM • UIPM • CCCAE)	Wen Jiabao
			10 years and 0 days
2		Fernando Chui 崔世安 (born 1957)	20 December 2009	19 December 2019	2009		3	Chui I (UPP • UIEM • UIPM • ACUM)
					2014		4	Chui II (UPP • UIEM • UIPM • ACUM • UE)	Li Keqiang
			10 years and 0 days
3		Ho Iat Seng 賀一誠 (born 1957)	20 December 2019	20 December 2024	2019		5	Ho I. (TBD)
			10 years and 0 days
4		Sam Hou Fai 岑浩輝) (born 1957)	20 December 2024	Incumbent	2024		6	Sam I. (TBD)	Li Qiang
			3 days

Executive Council

Main article: Executive Council of Macau

See also

• Chief Executive of Hong Kong
• Legislative Council of Macau

References

• Macao SAR Chief Executive Office Website
• Role of the Chief Executive - Basic Law of Macau
• Biography of the CE of Macau