ittee for up to two five-year terms
election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected on 29 August 2004;
received 296 votes in Election Committee out of 300 possible; 3
members submitted blank ballots; 1 member was absent
cabinet: Executive Council consists of all one government secretary,
four legislators, four businessmen, and one pro-Beijing unionist
head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20
December 1999)

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (27 seats; 10 elected by
popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and sevem appointed by the chief
executive; members serve four-year terms); number of legislators
will increase to 29 from September 2005
elections: last held 23 September 2001 (next to be September 2005)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by political bloc -
Entertainment Industry 3, pro-democracy 2, pro-Beijing Labor Union
2, pro-Beijing Neighborhood Association 2, pro-business 1

Judicial branch:
The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region

Political parties and leaders:
Some civic associations operate as de facto political parties:
Electoral Union; Pro-Macao and Flower of Friendship and Development
of Macao; Associacao para a Defesa dos Interesses de Macao; Centro
Democratico de Macao; Grupo Independente de Macao; Macau Economic
Promotion Association; Progress Promotion Union; Development Union

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Catholic Church [LAI Hung-sing, bishop]; Macau Society of Tourism
and Entertainment or STDM [Stanley HO, managing director]; Union for
Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong, leader]

International organization participation:
IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (sub-bureau), ISO (correspondent),
UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are monitored by the
US Consulate General in Hong Kong

Flag description:
light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water
in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large
in center of arc and four smaller

Economy Macau

Economy - overview:
Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most open in the
world since its reversion to China in 1999. The territory's net