The Court of Final Appeals in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) confirmed on Wednesday the outcome of the Election Committee's ballot for Macao's second chief executive and the State Council officially reappointed Edmund Ho Hau Wah. Premier Wen Jiabao declared Ho's reappointment with the signing of State Council Decree No. 414.

Ho's second term will begin on December 20, 2004.

Wednesday's State Council plenary meeting was attended by vice premiers Huang Ju, Wu Yi, Zeng Peiyan and all state councilors as well as by Wen. Before ratifying the appointment, they considered reports on the election submitted by the Macao SAR government and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

Ho was the only candidate in the election, receiving 296 votes in favor and three abstentions from the 299 members of the committee who voted on Sunday morning. Macao's Election Committee has a total of 300 members.

"The election process fully complies with the Basic Law and other relevant laws of the Macao SAR," said Wen.

Wen stated that the selection of Ho represents the implementation of the principles of one country, two systems and Macao people governing Macao with a high-degree of autonomy.

According to Wen, with the support of the central government Ho led Macao to map out socioeconomic development policies in an active, enterprising and practical manner. He has steadily advanced various reforms, improved social security, reinforced Macao's cooperation with the mainland and strengthened its international contacts. Under Ho's leadership, Macao has realized social stability, security and comfort for its residents and sustainable, rapid economic development.

Wen said that Ho's reappointment will be conducive to Macao's prosperity and stability and to the further advancement of the one country, two systems principle.

Born in Macao in 1955, Edmund Ho Hau Wah is the son of businessman Ho Yin. Going abroad to study at the age of 13, Ho graduated from the Business Management Department of York University in Toronto, Canada, in 1978 and became a certified accountant and an auditor in Canada in1981.

Ho then returned to Macao to take over the family business, working as the general manager of Tai Fung Bank. He quickly earned renown as a banker.

He was elected as the first chief executive of the Macao SAR on May 15, 1999, with the support of 82 percent of the Election Committee. Since taking office on December 20, 1999, Ho's political astuteness and pragmatic working style have been widely acclaimed in Macao.

Ho and his wife Tatiana Lau have one son and one daughter.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2004)