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176566
MDLIAN 8876
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FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 165
OF 070843Z MAY 91
17 M. 1991
TOP COPY
Q DIST?
p.9.
ค.
CS
915
INFO PRIORITY LISBON, HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
NEW MACAU CABINET
SUMMARY
ENTIRE MACAU GOVERNMENT CHANGED BY NEW GOVERNOR. TWO MACANESE UNDER SECRETARIES. POST OF UNDER-SECRETARY FOR TRANSITIONAL
AFFAIRS ABOLISHED.
DETAIL
1. THE HONG KONG PRESS REPORTED ON 6 MAY THE PORTUGUESE NATIONAL NEWS AGENCY'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF A COMPLETE CABINET CHANGE OF DEPARTMENT HEADS MACAU. ALL 7 CURRENT UNDER SECRETARIES WILL BE REPLACED, THE OFFICE OF TRANSITIONAL AFFAIRS ABOLISHED AND THAT OF INFORMATION, CULTURE AND TOURISM RE-ESTABLISHED.
2. TWO MACANESE WILL BE APPOINTED TO THE NEW CABINET, AN INTERESTING PRECEDENT. JORGE RANGEL, AN UNDER-SECRETARY FOR TOURISM IN THE LATE 1970'S, IS WELL KNOWN TO US AND WE HAVE A COI CAT II VISIT FOR HIM APPROVED FOR THIS YEAR. GIVEN HIS CURRENT ROLE AS PRESIDENT OF THE MACAU FOUNDATION (EAST ASIA UNIVERSITY), RANGEL'S APPOINTMENT (ADMINISTRATION AND EDUCATION) MAKES GOOD
SENSE. HE CAN BE EXPECTED TO SPEED UP TO LOCALISATION OF SENIOR GOVERNMENT POSTS, THE TRAINING OF POLICE OFFICERS, THE TRANSITION OF THE LAW AND PREPARATION FOR THE USE OF CHINESE AS AN OFFICIAL
LANGUAGE.
3. ANA PEREZ, CURRENTLY SOCIAL SERVICES DIRECTOR, IS PROMOTED AS UNDER SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS. SHE TAKE OVER FROM MARIA ROMAO. PEREZ WILL BE THE ONLY UNDER SECRETARY CURRENTLY SITTING IN THE MACAU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT CLEAR IF SHE IS OBLIGED TO RESIGN HER SEAT.
4. THE OTHER APPOINTEES ARE FROM LISBON, ALTHOUGH MACEDO DE ALMEIDA (JUSTICE) AND SALAVESSA DA COSTA (TOURISM, INFORMATION AND CULTURE) HAVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OF MACAU: THE LATTER FROM ONE OF NEW GOVERNOR GENERAL VIEIRA'S EARLIER POSTINGS IN MACAU. SALAVESSA WAS AN OFFICER IN THE MACAU TRAFFIC POLICE, AN UNUSUAL
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