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British Embassy LISBON
8
H L1 Davis Esq
FED
FCO
Ents
HKK 020/2
20 May 1981
MW
Dear Davis,
No
можку.
R.
1.0.
222-5
t Morr
NOMINATION OF ALMEIDA E COSTA AS NEW GOVERNOR OF MACAO
Htm
By Bay Thursday 28/5.
27/5
1. It was announced on 15 May that Comandante Almeida e Costa had accepted President Eanes' invitation to be the next Governor of Macao. It was reported in the Portuguese press that his appointment had been greeted favourably by the leading political associations in Macao, including the Grupo Independente de Macao and the Centro Democratico de Macao. However, the ADIM said they had nothing to add to the position they had taken when they were consulted about the choice of the new Governor. We understand that no date has yet been fixed for the swearing in of Almeida e Costa nor for his arrival in Macao.
2. Vasco Fernando de Almeida e Costa was one of the members of the 'Captains Movement' in April 1974 and came to have as one of his main responsibilities the preparation of the first democratic elections. He was born in Lisbon in 1932 and attended the naval college. He saw service in India, Angola, Guiné and Mozambique.
3. By 1974 he was a prominent naval officer and took part with Melo Antunes in the independence negotiations with Mozambique. In November 1974 he transferred to the Ministry of Internal Administration as part of a special 'gabinete' charged with drawing up the organisation and election of the new constitutional Assembly. He was a member of the National Elections Committee and afterwards Director General of the organisation within the Ministry superintending the first elections. He subsequently became Minister for Internal Administration in the 6th provisional government and for a time was interim Prime Minister of the same government during the illness of Pinheiro de Azevedo.
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