Lawmakers Tuesday elected the presidents and secretaries of the Legislative Assembly’s seven committees – the Committee on Rules and Statutes, 1st Standing, 2nd Standing and 3rd Standing Committees, Follow-up Committee for Land and Public Concession Affairs, Follow-up Committee for Public Finance Affairs, and Follow-up Committee for Public Administration Affairs.
According to The Macau Post Daily, the legislature announced the results of the elections in a statement. The statement did not reveal how many votes each elected president and secretary had obtained.
According to the legislature’s rules, committee presidents must obtain the support of more than half of the total number of each committee.
Government-appointed lawmaker-cum-lawyer Vong Hin Fai was elected as president of the seven-member Committee on Rule and Statutes whose obligations include raising suggestions on amending the legislature’s regulations.
Directly-elected lawmaker–cum-unionist Kwan Tsui Hang was elected president of the 10-member 1st Standing Committee.
Indirectly-elected lawmaker-cum-businessman Chan Chak Mo was elected president of the 10-member 2nd Standing Committee.
The 11-member 3rd Standing Committee will be chaired by indirectly-elected lawmaker Cheang Chi Keong who works in a senior position of the local branch of Bank of China (BOC).
The three follow-up committees will all be chaired by directly elected lawmakers: BOC staff member Ho Ion Sang, building contractor Mak Soi Kun and businessman Chan Meng Kam.
The elections for the seven committees’ presidents and secretaries were carried out after yesterday’s plenary meeting.
The legislators cast their votes in a secret ballot. The legislature’s four-member executive board headed by Legislative Assembly President Ho Iat Seng suggested the number of members that each committee should have and who should join which committee.
Some legislators have joined three committees. It is customary that the legislature’s president and vice president do not sit on any committee.
There are 33 lawmakers, 14 directly elected by popular vote, 12 indirectly elected by association representatives and seven appointed by the chief executive.
During Tuesday’s plenary meeting, lawmakers unanimously passed the executive board’s suggestion regarding the number of each committee and the list of lawmakers on each committee.
Addressing the plenum, Ho Iat Seng said that from past experience the workload of the president of each committee was very heavy so that all seven committees should have a new president this term.
Ho also urged the three follow-up committees to be more active in organising meetings with government officials to discuss government policies and hot-button issues.(macaunews)
