A spokesperson with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council voiced support on Tuesday for Macao’s Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election in disqualifying some candidates for the upcoming Legislative Assembly election.
The candidates were disqualified allegedly for not upholding the Macao Basic Law or not pledging allegiance to the Macao SAR.
The move is in line with the “One country, Two systems” policy and the Basic Law, and is to ensure the implementation of the principle of “patriots administering Macao,” said the spokesperson quoted by China Daily.
“Members of the Macao Legislative Assembly must be staunch patriots, the patriots administering Macao principle must be implemented in the Legislative Assembly election, and the candidates must meet the standards for patriotism,” the spokesperson added.
“We believe all sectors of Macao society will respect and support the decision by the Electoral Affairs Commission regarding the election, firmly safeguard the ‘patriots administering Macao’ principle, and elect Legislative Assembly members that fit the patriot standards,” said the spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the Macao government and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao also voiced firm support for Macao’s Electoral Affairs Commission in carrying out its duties in accordance with law and rendering some candidates unqualified to stand for election.
The Macao government said that upholding the Basic Law and pledging allegiance to the Macao SAR are the fundamental standards for members of the Legislative Assembly.
According to China Daily, the Macao government stressed that disqualifying certain candidates does not affect the basic rights enjoyed by Macao residents in accordance with law, the freedom of speech they enjoy, or their right to know and supervise the SAR government’s work.
