The Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) said yesterday that electioneering will be banned between this Friday and August 29 (the day before the commencement of the two-week official election campaign period) for the upcoming direct and indirect legislative elections, which will take place on September 14.
CAEAL President Seng Ioi Man made the remarks while speaking to reporters after chairing a regular closed-door meeting of the commission at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo.
Electoral lists are required to submit their respective lists of candidates and political platforms to the commission tomorrow at the latest.
Only eight candidacy lists will compete for the 14 seats at stake in the 2025 direct election.
As of yesterday, six of the eight direct election lists had submitted their respective lists of candidates and political platforms, while the six indirect election lists that will run in the upcoming indirect election had all submitted their respective lists of candidates and political platforms.
Before polling day on September 14, the 14-day official election campaign period will run from August 30 and September 12. No electioneering is allowed on the eve of polling day and on polling day.
According to the current version of the Legislative Assembly Election Law, which was amended last year, electioneering is banned from the day after the deadline for the submissions of lists of candidates, until the commencement of the two-week official election campaign period.
However, according to the law’s previous version, electioneering was only banned after the commission’s announcement of its final list of accepted candidates, until the commencement of the 14-day official election campaign period.
This means that the amended Legislative Assembly Election Law has banned the official electioneering period earlier compared to the law’s previous version.
Seng pointed out yesterday that the amended Legislative Assembly Election Law has brought the commencement of the official period banning electioneering forward, namely to the day after the deadline for the submissions of lists of candidates, according to which, he noted, electioneering for the 2025 direct election will be banned between Friday and August 29. He noted that violators will face a fine of between 2,000 patacas and 10,000 patacas.
Seng also said that the commission will post the submitted lists of candidates for the 2025 direct and indirect elections on the ground floor of the Public Administration Building on Saturday.
The commission will assess the qualifications of the candidates fielded by the electoral lists for standing in the upcoming direct and indirect legislative elections, during which it will request the Macau Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) Committee for Safeguarding National Security to assess whether the candidates uphold the MSAR Basic Law and bear allegiance to the MSAR.
After the process, Seng noted yesterday, the commission will be required to announce its list of accepted candidates by July 15, adding that if no objections to the commission’s decision are lodged, the commission will be required to announce its final list of accepted candidates by July 18, while if appeals are lodged to the Court of Final Appeal (TUI) against the commission’s decision, the commission will be required to announce the final list by July 31 following the court’s ruling.
Key points to know about electioneering
Seng also said that the commission has uploaded a Q&A page about the upcoming official period banning electioneering onto the dedicated website of the direct and indirect legislative elections with the aim of enabling candidates and all other individuals to gain a better understanding of the rules that they have to comply.
The Q&A page, available in Chinese and Portuguese, can be checked on: https://www.eal.gov.mo/zh_hant/QandA_2025.html
Seng outlined key information concerning the upcoming official period banning electioneering, which will start on Friday.
Seng noted that according to the Legislative Assembly Election Law, electioneering refers to any act intended to draw public attention to specific candidates, whether explicitly or implicitly, in order to encourage voters to vote for them or not to vote for them.
During the period banning electioneering, Seng said, no individual is allowed to solicit support for specific candidates through any means such as phone text messages, phone calls, emails, smartphone apps, or postal mails.
Seng also said that during the period banning electioneering, no individual is allowed to publish any information concerning campaigns for any candidates, including posting them on online platforms. In addition, they are not allowed to again post or forward any previous news related to the elections.
Seng clarified that previous news related to the elections that has already been posted on online platforms before the no-electioneering period will not need to be deleted during this period.
Moreover, Seng also said that candidates who are incumbent lawmakers must cover or remove campaign materials, such as posters and videos, displayed in public areas of their offices. Seng said that they can, for exercising their duties as a lawmaker, continue to attend public events and to talk to the news media commenting on current affairs or summarising their work as a lawmaker – provided that such activities do not include any elements of electioneering, including their political platforms and prospects for being elected.
Macau’s direct elections are based on continental Europe’s proportional representation system.
Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) President Seng Ioi Man (centre) addresses yesterday’s press briefing at the Public Administration Building, flanked by fellow commission members (from left to right) Louie Wong Lok I, Lai U Hou, Ng Wai Han, and Daisy Ho In Mui. – Photo: GCS
