The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said he expected the election date for the Chief Executive election would be announced in mid May.

Speaking to the press at the airport before departing for the Expo Central China 2009 in Anhui Province, Mr Ho said he expected all the members of the Chief Executive Election Committee will be known tomorrow and names of the members would be published on the Macao SAR Gazette in early next month.

After the announcement of the election day, the Electoral Affairs Committee for the election of the Chief Executive would formulate a timetable for the nomination of candidates.

Mr Ho said people who meet the requirements stipulated in the Basic Law are eligible to run for the Chief Executive and he expected that interested people would announce their candidacy in due course.