Scholar finds one-candidate CE election ‘worrying’

Professor Ieong Wan Chong from the Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM) has said that he is both pleased with, and concerned by, the fact that there is only one candidate in the upcoming Chief Executive election. He also believes that there are at least eight to ten people who could potentially contest the the election. The scholar also warned that the upcoming five-year tenure will be tougher for Chui Sai On, and argued that it is not necessary to set up more secretariats.
Prof Ieong commented on the one-candidate scenario during an IPM seminar that focused on the upcoming CE election.
He said that a “one-sided election” helps to reduce expenses and fosters a consensus amongst Macau’s residents.
Nevertheless, it is not adequate in terms of delivering fair competition and cultivating successors.
Moreover, he said that there should be more than one person who is capable of joining the election process. However, not many of them have the determination and the courage required to face the risks involved.
Ieong Wan Chong has predicted that competition in the 2017 CE election will be fiercer than it has so far been this year.
The scholar later spoke to the media and reiterated that the number of potential CE candidates “is not merely one or two.”
“I even believe that it is not three to five… Macau has the potential to find eight to ten people who are capable of participating in the CE election.[Macau’s] society also has the foundations [necessary to achieve this]. However, for various reasons, other [potential candidates] never disclosed their interest in joining the election [this year]. Now they have lost the chance because [the nomination period] is finished,” Ieong Wan Chong explained. He added that this situation indicated that Chui Sai On “is richly endowed.”
The IPM scholar then pointed out that the CE has to tackle a series of pressing current issues, including high housing prices and high inflation. He warned that if these issues are not resolved, the government might well receive less support in the future.
Furthermore, regarding the adjustment to the number of Secretariats, Ieong Wan Chong said that if the Secretary is a capable person, he/she could perform the necessary duties regardless of the number of bureaus. As a result, he argued that the characteristics of the Secretaries, as well as the coordination of the administrative team, are the determining factors of their performance.
During the seminar, most of the scholars present shared their views and reaffirmed the legitimacy of the CE election. They largely condemned the civil referendum currently being organized by three civil organizations, including the Open Macau Society. Many of the scholars reiterated their belief that the civil referendum lacks legal basis.
However, Prof Li Jiazeng from the City University of Macau suggested that it is normal to have “different opinions” regarding the CE election, given that it will be the fourth election since the 1999 sovereignty handover.
He also said that the CE should represent the interests of the majority.

João Pedro Lau