The Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) yesterday decided to disqualify all 12 candidates from two electoral lists for the upcoming direct legislative election based on the conclusion by the Macau Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) Committee for Safeguarding National Security that all of them had not upheld the MSAR Basic Law or had been disloyal to the MSAR, comprising the Power of Synergy list headed by incumbent lawmaker Ron Lam U Tou and the Macau Creating People’s Livelihood Force list which would have run in the direct legislative election for the first time.
No objections to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security’s binding appraisal can be lodged, while no appeals to the courts against the committee’s binding appraisal can be made either.
The committee is headed by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai.
CAEAL President Seng Ioi Man announced his commission’s decision in a press conference at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo yesterday afternoon.
As all candidates from the two lists have been disqualified, only six lists will run in the 2025 direct election, the smallest number of lists since the first direct legislative election was held in 2001 after the establishment of the MSAR on December 20, 1999.
Four years ago, 14 lists ran in the direct legislative election. The number of lists for the 2021 direct election had been the second smallest since the first MSAR direct legislative election was held in 2001.
It was the first time four years ago that there were candidates disqualified from standing in the direct legislative election due to their failure to uphold the MSAR Basic Law or their disloyalty to the MSAR. At that time, it was the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission, rather than the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, which concluded that the disqualified candidates did not uphold the MSAR Basic Law or were disloyal to the MSAR.
The Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission’s decision to disqualify candidates for standing in the upcoming direct legislative election due to their failure to uphold the MSAR Basic Law or their disloyalty to the MSAR came after the Legislative Assembly Election Law was amended last year, according to which, when the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission is assessing legislative election candidates’ qualifications, it is required to request the Committee for Safeguarding National Security to assess whether the candidates uphold the MSAR Basic Law and bear allegiance to the MSAR.
According to the amended Legislative Assembly Election Law, if the commission decides to disqualify a legislative election candidate after the Committee for Safeguarding National Security has concluded that he or she does not uphold the MSAR Basic Law or has been disloyal to the MSAR, the respective candidate cannot lodge an objection to the commission’s decision, nor can he or she lodge an appeal to the courts against the commission’s decision.
The disqualification (colloquially known as DQ) is valid for five years, which means that a disqualified candidate will not be able to run for a seat in the legislature in the next elections, as they are held every four years.
According to the law, if the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission decides to disqualify a legislative election candidate based on various other reasons in general other than the Committee for Safeguarding National Security’s binding appraisal, the respective candidate can lodge an objection to the commission’s decision or lodge an appeal to the courts against the commission’s decision.
During yesterday’s press conference, Seng noted that after the eight lists submitted their respective lists of candidates and political platforms for the upcoming direct legislative election, his commission then passed the lists to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security to assess whether the candidates uphold the MSAR Basic Law and bear allegiance to the MSAR.
Seng said that his commission held a meeting yesterday afternoon to discuss and decide the candidates’ qualifications after the Committee for Safeguarding National Security on Monday submitted its binding appraisal concerning whether the candidates uphold the MSAR Basic Law and bear allegiance to the MSAR.
During yesterday’s press conference, which started at 5 p.m., Seng announced that one candidate, Hong Wai I, of the Macau Creating People’s Livelihood Force list, which had initially fielded seven candidates, had withdrawn from the candidacy, leaving the list with six candidates before all of them were disqualified yesterday.
The Power of Synergy list had fielded six candidates, with current lawmaker Ron Lam as its first-ranked candidate, before all of them were disqualified yesterday.
Seng said that the Committee for Safeguarding National Security submitted its binding appraisal to his commission on Monday, according to which the committee concluded that all six candidates of the Power of Synergy list, comprising Ron Lam U Tou, Johnson Ian Heng Ut, Che I Kei, Sio Ieng Weng, Joe Chan Chon Meng, and Cheong Iek Chong, and all six candidates of the Macau Creating People’s Livelihood Force, comprising Alberto Wong (aka Tim Wong Tak Loi), Leong Sio Iok, Che Meng Lam, Chow Chi Fai, Ngai Ka Fong, and Fong Kai Hou, do not uphold the MSAR Basic Law or have been disloyal to the MSAR.
Consequently, Seng noted, his commission decided yesterday to disqualify all 12 candidates from standing in the upcoming direct legislative election.
Seng underlined that according to the amended Legislative Assembly Election Law, the Committee for Safeguarding National Security’s appraisal is binding, because of which, he noted, no objections to his commission’s decision to disqualify candidates made based on the committee’s appraisal can be lodged, while no appeals to the courts against his commission’s decision to disqualify candidates made based on the committee’s appraisal can be lodged either.
Seng also said that the Committee for Safeguarding National Security’s appraisal concluding that some of the candidates do not uphold the MSAR Basic Law or have been disloyal to the MSAR is legally sound, adding that his commission respects and supports the committee’s conclusion.
Four years ago, a total of 20 candidates fielded by six direct election lists were disqualified due to their failure to uphold the MSAR Basic Law or their disloyalty to the MSAR. Initially, 19 lists ran in the 2021 direct election. After the 20 candidates were disqualified, 14 direct election lists were eligible to run as one of the six lists still had a sufficient number of candidates after two of its candidates were disqualified because of which this list was still eligible to run.
Each direct election list must field at least four and no more than 14 candidates. The legislature comprises 14 directly-elected, 12 indirectly-elected and seven government-appointed seats.
The Power of Synergy list won the direct election for the first time four years ago when it won one seat, taken by its number-one candidate Ron Lam.
The Power of Synergy list ran in the direct election for the first time in 2017 but failed to win any seats at that time.
Ron Lam previously worked for the local Chinese-language newspaper Macao Daily News.
Before all its candidates were disqualified yesterday, the Macau Creating People’s Livelihood Force list was running in the direct legislative election for the first time, having fielded Alberto Wong, who heads a string of Macau-Myanmar associations, as its first-ranked candidate.
Wong previously worked as a Judiciary Police (PJ) officer.
Meanwhile, Ron Lam said in a short statement on his Facebook account yesterday: “I haven’t received any official notice – like all of you, I learnt the news through live broadcasts. It’s sudden, but I’m at peace. My conscience is clear, and my original commitment to Macau remains unchanged. I firmly believe sunshine always follows the storm! To everyone here, I can only say: I’m sorry I can no longer serve you.
“I must sincerely thank the partners who stood with me in serving Macau – this journey was possible only because of you.
“And to every single one of you who supported us: thank you.”
Meanwhile, Wong said in a bullet-point statement yesterday: “I learnt the outcome through news reports [yesterday].”
He insisted on his “unwavering commitment to loving the nation and Macau”, adding that his “loyalty to the Macau SAR remains as steadfast as ever.”
Wong also said that “[my] dedication to serving citizens is unchanged from the outset.” He apologised to his supporters, saying, “I deeply regret being unable to continue [my] service [to you].”
And he expressed gratitude to his team for their “collective efforts” and pledged to “keep contributing to Macau’s development”.
Wong said: no comment on the decision. Maintain optimism and continue serving Macau through lawful means.
Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) President Seng Ioi Man (3rd from right) speaks during yesterday’s press conference at the Public Administration Building, flanked by fellow commission members (from left to right) Louie Wong Lok I, Mak Kim Meng, Lai U Hou, Ng Wai Han, and Daisy Ho In Mui. – Photo: Tony Wong
Media workers take photos of the list of accepted candidates for the upcoming direct and indirect legislative elections posted on the ground floor of the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo after yesterday afternoon’s press conference. – Photo: Tony Wong
