on Friday emerged as the clear favourite to become the Portuguese enclave's leader when it returns to Chinese rule in December, Reuters reported. Ho, 44, garnered 125 of the 200 votes of a China-appointed selection committee in the first-round ballot. He appears streets ahead of his sole rival, Stanley Au, also a banker, who won 65 votes.
``These two (Ho and Au) will become the candidates of the first chief executive of People's Republic of China's Macau Special Administrative Region,'' said China's Vice-Premier Qian Qichen as he announced the results.
Three candidates failed to secure the necessary votes to enter the second round of voting by the committee on May 15.
Both candidates are known as moderate pro-business community leaders with friendly relations with Beijing.
Ho, executive director of Tai Fung Bank, said last week he would focus on law and order, public security and the economy if he became the chief executive of Macau.
Macau, a gambling centre at the mouth of the Pearl River estuary, has been rocked in recent years by arson attacks and drive-by shootings blamed mostly on triad criminal gangs battling for position ahead of the return to China.
Lisbon will return Macau to Beijing at midnight on December 19, ending 442 years of Portuguese administration.
Chinese Banker Picked To Lead Macau (1999-05-16)Edmund Ho and Stanley Au Vie for Macau's Top Job (1999-04-24)Ho seen leading in Macau leadership race (1999-04-23)6 (11285)
