BEIJING – A spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council voiced support yesterday for Macau’s Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) in disqualifying some candidates for the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections.
The candidates were disqualified for not upholding the Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) or not pledging allegiance to the MSAR. The move is in line with the “One Country, Two Systems” policy and the Basic Law, and is to ensure the implementation of the principle of “Patriots Administering Macau,” said the spokesperson.
Members of the Legislative Assembly of the MSAR must be staunch patriots, the “Patriots Administering Macau” principle must be implemented in the Legislative Assembly election, and the candidates must meet the standards for patriotism, the spokesperson added.
The upcoming election is a major event for the MSAR in 2021, and the central government will give its full support to Macau in organising the election, according to the spokesperson.
“We believe all sectors of Macau society will respect and support the decision by the Electoral Affairs Commission regarding the election, firmly safeguard the ‘Patriots Administering Macau’ principle, and elect Legislative Assembly members that fit the patriot standards,” said the spokesperson. – Xinhua, MPD
