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The Portuguese Government was considering resetting the eligibility criteria for Chinese resdients in Macau to acquire Portuguese nationality, the Oriental Daily News reported (29.3), quoting Legislative Assembly member Alexandre Ho.
Mr Ho said that the Portuguese memorandum on nationality had said that Macau residents holding Portuguese passports because of their Portuguese nationality might continue to use that passport. He said it seemed that such a provision was to pave the way for amendments to Portuguese nationality laws.
Mr Ho said he would be happier if the memorandum stated only that Portuguese passport holders in Macau could continue to use their passports after December 20, 1999.
Quoting its UK correspondent, the paper said the Portuguese media believed that after the handover Portuguese passport holders in Macau who were ethnic Chinese would be required to migrate to Portugal before they could pass their Portuguese nationality to their offsprings.
In another development, the media quoted the acting Governor of Macau, Dr Carlos Monjardino, as saying that Portuguese nationality laws would not be changed to prevent an exodus of the people from Macau to Portugal.
Speaking to newsmen after attending a congregation of the University of East Asia, Dr Monjardino said he did not think that amendments were necessary because he did not think that Macau people would flood to Portugal in the run-up to 1999.
Speaking on Commercial Radio-C's "HK Telescope," University of East Asia chancellor Lam Tat-kwong said most Macau people were confident that China and Portugal would maintain the prosperity of Macau in the future.
Journalist Leonal Borralho felt that Portuguese could still occupy senior posts in the Macau Government after 1999.