Beijing official calls on AL to monitor the administration

Li Fei, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese National People’s Congress Standing Committee, believes that Macau should legislate as soon as possible for the Legislative Assembly (AL) to monitor the income and expenses of the government.
The remark was made yesterday in a seminar on the Macau Basic Law and the development of the MSAR. During her speech, the former AL president Susana Chou acknowledged that the Budget Law has yet to be legislated. As such, the AL cannot monitor government expenditure. She also mentioned the issue of the checks and balances between the executive and the legislature, raising questions concerning accountability in cases where conflicts arise between the two government branches.
In reply, Li Fei said that the government, as a rule-of-law administration, should willingly accept the regulation by the law. In order to legally regulate the government, Li argued that relevant legislation should be passed as soon as possible and the Chief Executive, the relevant departments and the AL president should collaborate.
He also stipulated that collaboration between the legislature and the executive should not neglect bottom-line principles or encourage the AL to pander to the government.