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He said, however, that as only part of the future legislature would be returned by elections, the development of a political system in Macau would be affected.
Mr Ho's view was echoed by a lecturer in the University of East Asia, Wun Kin-wah.
Mr Wun also called on the Macau government to train more bilingual officers. But he quickly pointed out that English should not be ignored because it was so widely used internationally.
Chancellor of the University of East Asia, Lam Tat-kwong, said the agreement was a good one. He felt the principle of Macau people ruling Macau would stimulate the development of education in the territory.
Mr Lam said that for the first time, education would be the primary concern of the people of Macau as they would be more closely associated with developments in the enclave.
A Catholic priest Lam Ka-chun said that since the agreement had been worked out over a long period of time, people should view it with confidence.
As the agreement had guaranteed religious freedom after 1999, he felt that it should be taken at face value.
Vice president of Macau's Federation of Trade Unions, Lau Cheuk-wah, felt that the agreement was satisfactory because it took into consideration the interests of the community as a whole.
He urged the people of Macau to participate actively in the drafting of the Basic Law.
Prominent business leaders including Ho Hau-wah, Tso Kee-chung, Tong Sing-chiu and Sung Yat-chuen all pledged support to the joint
declaration.
Chairman of the Macau Civic Association, Henrique Senna Fernandoes, told the electronic media personally that he was not satisfied with the nationality arrangement.
Mr Fernandoes said that he was worried for his grandchildren as the memorandum stipulated that anyone born after 1999 could not claim
Portuguese citizenship.
Another Macau lawyer said that it was unfair to make it mandatory
for anyone born in Macau after 1999 to become Chinese nationals. He
urged clarification.