Macao’s Chief Executive (CE) Ho Iat Seng is taking a 16-day break from 4 to 19 July. The secretary for administration and justice, André Cheong, will assume Ho’s duties during the CE’s absence, the government reported in a dispatch published yesterday.
The new leave of absence follows straight on from an earlier 13-day holiday taken by Ho between 21 June and 3 July.
The leave of 29 consecutive days has fuelled online speculation about Ho’s intentions for the upcoming CE election, which could take place as early as October.
[See more: ‘No decision has been made.’ Ho noncommittal in another term]
Ho has thus far not given any indication about his reelection plans. Shortly after the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Xia Balong concluded his tour of Macao in May, Ho publicly stated that “the central government has not spoken to me” about the election.
Historically speaking, Ho’s lack of an official announcement so far is not out of the ordinary. His predecessors, Edmund Ho and Fernando Chui announced their intentions for reelection on 14 July 2004 and 15 July 2014, with the Chief Executive elections scheduled on 29 August 2004 and 31 August 2014 respectively.
Ho’s silence has however added to rumours over which member of cabinet, such as Cheong or security secretary Wong Sio Chak, could replace him.
