Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On has appointed the five officials who will constitute the Electoral Affairs Commission for the upcoming Chief Executive Election.
The commission will oversee the election of Chui’s successor by the end of the year. Chui second and constitutionally final consecutive 5-year term will end at midnight on December 19.
According to an executive order published in the Official Gazette (BO), the commission will be headed by Court of Final Appeal (TUI) Judge Song Man Lei, Macau’s highest-ranking female judge.
The other members of the commission are Assistant Prosecutor-General Chan Tsz King, Court of Second Instance (TSI) Judge Tong Hio Fong, Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) Director Kou Peng Kuan, and Government Information Bureau (GCS) Director Victor Chan Chi Ping.
The commission is tasked with coordinating the process of selecting the 400 members of the Chief Executive Election Committee. The election of the members will take place on June 16. Afterwards, the commission will coordinate the election of Macau’s third chief executive.
According to the Macau Basic Law, the chief executive shall be elected by a broadly representative election committee appointed by the central government.
According to Annex I of the Macau Basic Law, the committee includes members from four sectors – 120 from the industrial, commercial and financial sectors; 115 from the cultural and educational sectors and other professions; 115 from the labour, social services, religious and other sectors; and 50 representatives of members of the Legislative Assembly (AL), representatives of the members of Macau’s municipal body, the local deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC), and representatives of Macau members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
For the first time, two representatives of the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) will join the committee.
According to the official election schedule, Macau’s next chief executive is slated to be elected by the committee in the second half of August at the earliest.
CE candidates may be nominated jointly by not less than 66 members of the committee. Each member may nominate only one candidate. Theoretically, up to six candidates could be nominated by the committee.
Committee candidates must finalise their election bids by May 6, i.e. 40 days before the election of the committee on June 16.
The next chief executive is to be sworn in on December 20. According to unconfirmed reports, President Xi Jinping is set to preside over the swearing-in ceremony during a working visit to Macau.
So far no chief executive candidates have come forward. Observers have speculated that Legislative Assembly President Ho Iat Seng and/or Secretary for Economy and Finance Leong Vai Tac could throw their hats into the ring.
