Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said yesterday that a declaration of allegiance, which candidates will have to sign to be able to run in the Legislative Assembly (AL) elections, to confirm their agreement with the Macau Basic Law and their fidelity to the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), was “a precautionary measure for a rainy day”.
Chan made the remarks after a closed-door meeting of the Legislative Assembly 2nd Standing Committee, noting that the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee’s interpretation of Article 104 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law states clearly that candidates must uphold the Hong Kong Basic Law and bear true allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
However, Chan, when asked by reporters, denied that the Macau government’s draft was submitted to the legislature upon the central government’s request.
Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan speaks to reporters after a meeting of the legislature’s 2nd Standing Committee yesterday.
The legislature’s 2nd Standing Committee President Andrew Chan Chak Mo briefs reporters after yesterday’s closed-door committee meeting. Photos: Debby Seng
