Deputy Commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in Macau Zhang Jingfeng said Tuesday the commission was firmly against any outside forces interfering in Macau’s internal affairs, referring to the direct and indirectlegislative elections in September.
According to The Macau Post Daily, Zhang made the comments while speaking to about 100 secondary school pupils who were visiting the premises of the ministry’s local commission as part of a summer camp activity to learn about national affairs.
The commission was set up on December 20, 1999, coinciding with the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).
“It is an important year for the development of Macau’s political system; the legislative elections to be held in September are Macau’s internal affair,”Zhang said, adding: “We noticed that representatives of some foreign entities have come to Macau to find faults with, and make irresponsible comments about the special administrative region’s election affairs, in anattempt to influence them.”
Zhang said that the commission believed the local government and Macaupeople have the ability to deal with the issue.
Zhang also said the commission ensured that the “One Country, Two Systems” policy is fully implemented in Macau.
She also said that the commission worked closely with the local government to safeguard Chinese sovereignty and interests as well as the long-term prosperity and stability of Macau.
Zhang told the pupils at the end of their tour that complicated changes werehappening around the world and that the relationship between China and the rest of the world was becoming closer.
“We’re facing challenges that we’ve never seen before but we have full confidence and enough wisdom to tackle the challenges,” Zhang said.
The direct and indirect Legislative Assembly (AL) elections will be held on September 15. A total of 145 candidates representing 20 electoral groups vie for the 14 directly-elected seats at stake, or 10.35 candidates per seat.(macaunews)
