Macau's Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEL) announced today that it has decided to disqualify 21 candidates from six candidacy lists for failing to support the Macau Basic Law and having been disloyal to the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).
The government-appointed commission's president, Tong Hio Fong, announced the decision in a special press conference at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo this afternoon.
Tong, a judge by profession, declined to reveal the names of the affected lists and candidates as they still have the right to appeal. According to the Macau Legislative Assembly Election Law they have the right to appeal or to replace the candidates concerned on Monday at the latest.
Tong said that even though all the 159 candidates fielded by 19 lists (candidacy groups) had formally declared their loyalty to the MSAR when they submitted their candidacies over the past few weeks, the commission's candidacy qualification review process, based on evidence provided by the Secretariat for Security, discovered that the 21 candidates had failed to respect the Macau Basic Law. Therefore, he said, the 21 residents are ineligible to stand in the September 12 direct election.
Tong also announced that two other candidates from another list were disqualified for not being registered voters.
According to the law, candidates must be listed in the electoral roll.
On Wednesday, the commission had announced the preliminary acceptance of 159 candidates from 19 lists vying for 14 directly-elected seats in the 33-member legislature.
Macau's direct election is based on the proportional representation system. Permanent Macau residents aged at least 18 have the right to register as voters and candidates, irrespective of nationality and place of birth. Permanent residency is granted to residents who have "habitually" lived in Macau for seven consecutive years.
Macau's legislature comprises 14 lawmakers directly elected by universal suffrage, 12 indirectly elected by association representatives and seven appointed by the chief executive after the direct and indirect elections which will take place on September 12 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For the direct elections, each list must have at least four and no more than 14 candidates.
All the 12 indirect-election candidates are running unopposed this time.
There are no political parties in Macau. Political organisations customarily set up candidacy lists a few weeks before the direct and indirect elections every four years.
Meanwhile, according to local media reports tonight, the 21 disqualified non-establishment candidates include incumbent lawmakers Ng Kuok Cheong and Sulu Sou Ka Hou, former lawmaker Paul Chan Wai Chi, political activist Scott Chiang Meng Hin and gaming staff unionist Cloee Chao Sao Fong.
Ng told public broadcaster TDM that he planned to appeal. He also said that he would write a letter to Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng to ask whether his disqualification was a "technical" or political decision.
Chiang told TDM that he regarded his disqualification as an "honour". Chao said that she was "surprised" by her disqualification.
According to various local media sources, Chiang, Chan and other disqualified candidates also said that they planned to appeal the commission's decision.
Photo courtesy of TDM
