The Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) said yesterday that the candidacy groups for the upcoming direct and indirect legislative elections will be required to submit lists laying out details of all publicity materials and items that they intend to distribute during the two-week official election campaign period, including the items’ respective quantities and costs.
The requirements for the candidacy groups aim to enable the commission to ensure that their campaign materials will fully comply with the law, such as preventing the candidacy groups from distributing any items apparently involving benefits.
The 2025 direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on September 14.
Before polling day on September 14, the 14-day official election campaign period will run from August 30 and September 12. No electioneering is allowed on the eve of polling day and on polling day.
The commission said yesterday that the candidacy groups will be required to submit their respective electioneering materials’ lists to the commission by August 27 at the latest, i.e., three days before the commencement of the two-week official election campaign period.
CAEAL President Seng Ioi Man made the remarks while speaking to reporters yesterday after chairing a regular closed-door meeting of the commission at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo.
Seng underlined that the candidacy groups will only be allowed to distribute their publicity materials and items during the 14-day official election campaign period.
Only six groups have been accepted to run in the 2025 direct election after the commission decided on Tuesday last week to disqualify all 12 candidates fielded by two electoral groups, based on the conclusion by the Macau Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) Committee for Safeguarding National Security that all of them had not upheld the MSAR Basic Law or had been disloyal to the MSAR.
The six accepted groups for the upcoming direct election comprise 71 candidates, vying for the 14 seats at stake.
Each direct election group must field at least four and no more than 14 candidates.
The 33-member Legislative Assembly (AL) currently comprises 14 deputies directly elected by universal suffrage, 12 deputies indirectly elected by association representatives and seven deputies appointed by the chief executive after the direct and indirect elections.
The legislature’s 12 indirectly-elected seats comprise four seats representing the city’s industrial, commercial and financial sector, three seats from the professional sector, two seats from the labour sector, two seats from the cultural and sports sector, and one seat from the social services and educational sector.
Two groups will run for the upcoming indirect election’s labour sector.
The labour sector is the only sector where more than one group will run in the upcoming indirect election, while only one group will run for each of the other four sectors.
The number of candidates fielded by each indirect election group must be the same as the respective sector’s number of seats.
Therefore, there are a total of 14 candidates fielded by the six indirect election groups vying for the 12 seats at stake. All of their qualifications for running in the upcoming indirect election have been confirmed by the commission.
During yesterday’s press briefing, Seng underlined that the official requirements for the candidacy groups to submit their respective campaign materials’ lists aim to enable his commission, in collaboration with the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC), to strengthen oversight of the campaign materials and items to be distributed during the two-week election campaign period.
Seng underlined that during the 14-day election campaign period, the candidacy groups must avoid distributing publicity materials and items apparently involving benefits, as the distribution of such items could constitute electoral bribery offences.
The commission has previously indicated that election campaign materials and items involving benefits include packets of tea and power banks.
Seng noted that after the candidacy groups submit their respective electioneering materials’ lists, his commission will scrutinise the materials and items laid out by the lists, adding that if his commission identifies any items laid out by the lists that are regarded as those involving benefits, his commission will tell the respective candidacy groups to rectify the situation.
Seng also said that during the two-week election campaign period, the candidacy groups should not distribute publicity materials and items “in the form of gift packages”.
Seng said that the candidacy groups will be required to submit their respective lists laying out electioneering materials and items in three categories.
According to Seng, the first category refers to publicity items distributed to members of the public, which can display the respective candidacy group’s name, number (numerical order on the ballot papers), and logo, such as leaflets, pamphlets, small packets of dry or wet tissues, paddle fans, handheld flags, and pens.
The second category, according to Seng, refers to items distributed to supporters during election campaign rallies and other activities, which can only be printed with the colour representing the respective candidacy group but cannot display its name, number, and logo, such as such as whistles, balloons, glow sticks, inflatable cheer sticks, and single-use raincoats.
According to Seng, the third category refers to clothing and equipment used by election campaign staff, comprising two sub-categories.
Seng said that items in the first sub-category can display the respective candidacy group’s name, number, and logo, such as T-shirts, vests, and caps, while items in the second sub category can only be printed with the colour representing the respective candidacy group but cannot display its name, number, and logo, such as reusable bags and umbrellas.
Meanwhile, Seng said during yesterday’s press briefing that each polling booth will be equipped with a semi-transparent curtain with the aim of ensuring ballot secrecy while also enabling polling staff to observe, from a relatively long distance, whether the voters are violating legislative rules while indicating their choice on the ballots in the booths, such as taking photos of the ballots with their smartphones.
Meanwhile, the commission held a draw on Saturday last week determining the numerical order of the six accepted candidacy groups on the ballot papers for the upcoming direct legislative election of the 14 seats at stake.
The draw was held after the commission announced on Friday last week its final list of accepted candidates for the 2025 direct legislative election.
The order on the ballot papers determined by Saturday’s draw is: 1) Macau United Citizens Association (ACUM), 2) New Hope, 3) Progress Promotion Union (UPP), 4) Macau-Guangdong Union (UMG), 5) Union for Development (UPD), and 6) Alliance for a Happy Home.
Meanwhile, as two groups will vie for the labour sector’s two seats in the upcoming indirect legislative election, Saturday’s draw also determined the order of the two groups on the ballot papers.
The order on the ballot papers for the indirect election of the labour sector’s two seats is: 1) Union of Workers’ Associations, and 2) Joint Candidacy Committee of Employees’ Associations.
Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) President Seng Ioi Man (centre) shows reporters the official poster instructing voters how to correctly indicate their choice on the ballot papers in the polling booths and cast their ballots, flanked by fellow commission members (from left to right) Mak Kim Meng, Lai U Hou, Ng Wai Han, and Louie Wong Lok I, during yesterday’s press briefing at the Public Administration Building. – Photo: GCS
