MACAO - The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced on Tuesday that 12 candidates from two electoral lists are not qualified for the election due to failing to uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the Macao SAR.

Seng Ioi-man, chairman of the commission, noted at a press conference that the decision was made in accordance with the Electoral Law for the Legislative Assembly and based on the opinions sent by the Macao SAR Committee for Safeguarding National Security on Monday.

The Electoral Law for the Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR was amended in 2024, enhancing the candidate vetting mechanism and reinforcing the principle of "patriots administering Macao".

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Under the revised framework, the Committee for Safeguarding National Security shall determine whether candidates uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the Macao SAR and shall issue binding review opinions to the electoral affairs commission for those who are not eligible. The commission shall make decisions on ineligibility based on the review opinions, which are not subject to any statement of objections or judicial appeal.

According to the briefing, no issues of ineligibility or procedural non-compliance were found among the other candidate lists and candidates for the election. These candidate lists and the respective candidates have all been accepted by the commission.

Seng stressed that the committee's review was legally grounded, and the commission respects and supports the judgment. The commission will continue to carry out election-related duties in strict accordance with the law, ensuring a lawful and orderly election, he said.

Sept 14 was set as the election day for Macao SAR's eighth Legislative Assembly, with 14 members to be elected by direct vote and 12 by indirect means.

Macao, liaison back election decision

The Macao SAR government and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR on Tuesday voiced firm support to the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election in performing its duties and responsibilities in accordance with the law.

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The commission made decisions of ineligibility in accordance with the law for those candidates who do not uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the Macao SAR pursuant to the results of the eligibility review of candidates standing for the eighth Legislative Assembly election conducted by the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, the SAR government said in a statement.

In the constitutional order enshrined in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law, persons entering the governance structure of the Macao SAR must be staunch patriots who love the country and Macao, the statement said.

The Macao SAR government pledged to give full support to the electoral affairs commission for its performance of duties and responsibilities in accordance with the law to comprehensively implement the principle of "patriots administering Macao" and effectively ensure the smooth proceeding of the eighth Legislative Assembly election, fully safeguarding the rights and freedoms that Macao residents enjoy in accordance with the law.

A spokesperson for the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR said the electoral affairs commission made a lawful decision regarding candidate eligibility, and the liaison office firmly supports this decision.

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The spokesperson emphasized that "patriots administering Macao" is a fundamental principle under "one country, two systems," and members of the Legislative Assembly, as part of the SAR's governance structure, must be staunch patriots.

Noting that the upcoming election of the eighth Legislative Assembly is a significant event in Macao's political life, the spokesperson said the election concerns the future development of "one country, two systems" in Macao, the region's long-term prosperity and stability, and the vital interests of every resident of Macao.