Potential chief executive candidate Sam Hou Fai has garnered nominations from 383 among the 400-member Chief Executive Election Committee, representing 95.75 percent. He formally submitted his nomination form with the 383 endorsements yesterday morning to an electoral affairs official at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo.
Following the submission, Sam addressed the press, expressing his gratitude for the extensive support he garnered from the election committee. He said that over the past 12 days, he and his campaign team diligently engaged with committee members across all sectors, listening to their views and seeking their backing. “As of last night, we received formal nominations from 383 committee members for my candidacy in the 6th-term chief executive election,” he noted.
The nomination period for candidates in the Macau Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) sixth-term chief executive election will end tomorrow.
Sam underlined that when he decided to run the campaign, he did not estimate how many people would support or nominate him. Thus, Sam pointed out, he was “very satisfied” with the current level of support from so many committee members.
Looking ahead, Sam highlighted his preparations for the upcoming stages of the election campaign. Sam said he planned to present his election platform to the general public, aiming to garner recognition and support, after September 28.
He pledged to get in touch with various sectors of civil society, particularly those represented by the election committee members, to help him draft a comprehensive election platform.
Sam served as the president of the Court of Final Appeal (TUI) for nearly 25 years. He underscored his commitment to transitioning from the judicial realm to actively engage in extensive communication with all sectors of society to grasp public sentiment.
When he became Macau’s top judge on December 20, 1999, Sam was reportedly the world’s youngest chief justice.
Sam, 62, also said that the future development of Macau society relies on the joint efforts of everyone, especially when formulating policies that involve a wide range of local stakeholders, and, asked by a Portuguese-speaking reporter, he underlined the inclusion of the local Portuguese community in Macau’s development.
He also praised the previous and current local governments for doing a good job in developing Macau’s society. “It is my primary aim and concern that our potential governing team can listen more to the opinions of various sectors of society,” he noted.
The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election (CAECE) will vet Sam’s 383 endorsements and a signed statement pledging his loyalty to the MSAR and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as well as his commitment to defend the Macau Basic Law, which will also be submitted to the National Security Defence Commission (CDSE) for its binding appraisal of his candidacy application. The appraisal cannot be appealed.
Once his election bid has been formally approved by the CAECE and the CDSE, Sam’s candidature is slated to be officially announced on September 18, the day after the Mid-autumn Festival, according to the official CE election schedule.
Once reviewed and approved, Sam will be the only candidate for the Chief Executive Election on October 13, as no other candidate can possibly still garner at least 66 votes from the Chief Executive Election Committee members, who can only endorse one candidate each.
By law, each CE candidate and their representatives or campaign organisation are free to carry out electioneering activities between 14 days before and one day prior to the CE election date, i.e., between September 28 and October 11 this time, including publishing election platforms and giving interviews to the media; sending free publicity materials by post; meeting CE election committee members; organising CE election committee members’ rallies; and making speeches and answering questions.
By law, all elections in Macau shall take place on a Sunday. Moreover, electioneering is banned on the eve of polling day, i.e., Saturday, known as “reflection day”.
Apart from the CE election in 1999, when there were two candidates – Edmund Ho Hau Wah and Stanley Au Chong Kit – vying for Macau’s top post, all the other CE elections (2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019) only involved one candidate each time.
Potential chief executive candidate Sam Hou Fai submits his nomination form to a representative of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election (CAECE) yesterday morning at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo. – Photo: William Chan
