Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai appointed on Wednesday Court of Second Instance (TSI) Judge Tong Hio Fong as the president of the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Committee (CAEAL) for this autumn’s direct and indirect legislative elections, according to yesterday’s Official Gazette (BO).
The legislative elections take place every four years – normally in September.
According to the recently-amended Legislative Election Law, which came into force in December last year, the CAEAL consists of a president and at least five other members.
According to the gazette, Chui appointed prosecutor Lai U Hou, Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) President Jose Fonseca Tavares, Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) Director Kou Peng Kuan, Finance Services Bureau (DSF) Director Iong Kong Leong, and Government Information Bureau (GCS) Director Victor Chan Chi Ping, to the committee.
According to the Legislative Election Law, the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Committee has to be set up in the year before the legislative election takes place.
Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan told reporters last week that the government could not set up the committee by the end of last year, because, she said, the amendment bill was passed in the middle of last month and the law came into force on December 19, adding that the courts were in winter recess until early this month.
She added that, consequently, there had not been enough time to set up the committee by the end of last year.
(Macau News / The Macau Post Daily)
