The government of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) has expressed strong opposition to, and deep regret over, a so-called report passed by the European Parliament(EP).
Regarding references to Macau in the European Parliament's so-called new EU-China strategy, the MSAR government said last night that since Macau's return to the motherland over 20 years ago, the principles of "One Country, Two Systems," "Macau people administering Macau" with a high degree of autonomy have been successfully implemented.
The basic rights of Macau residents, including the right to vote, have been fully guaranteed by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the MSAR Basic Law, said the MSAR government.
The MSAR government noted that last Sunday's election of the 7th Legislative Assembly of the MSAR was carried out in an orderly manner and in strict accordance with the MSAR Basic Law and the MSAR Legislative Assembly election law, with the electoral affairs commission for the election performing its duties in accordance with the law, candidacy lists campaigning in accordance with the law, and various circles of the Macau society and Macau residents willingly casting their ballots.
The vote took place in a fair, just and clean manner, the MSAR government said.
The legislative election of the MSAR is completely Macau's internal affairs, which no foreign institution including the European Parliament has the right to interfere in, the MSAR government stressed, pledging that it would, just as always, safeguard the freedom of the press and the basic rights of Macau residents in accordance with the law so as to ensure the sustained and successful implementation of "One Country, Two Systems" with Macau characteristics. – Xinhua, MPD
