Policy Address | Sonia Chan pledges to create ‘healthy election culture’

“We need to find our own political development path and this requires time”, Sonia Chan

The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, has pledged to promote a healthy election environment, as lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong urged the government to address the population’s call for universal suffrage.
Ms Chan returned to the Legislative Assembly (AL) on Friday for a second consecutive day of discussions with lawmakers on her cabinet’s action plan for 2015.
“The Chief Executive said he would be listening to people’s demands on Macau’s political development. In this particular field, I believe that your cabinet’s work is very limited,” said lawmaker Ng, asking the secretary whether she knew the number of residents wanting universal suffrage for both the Chief Executive and AL elections. “Isn’t the secretary willing to work in accordance with the population’s desires?”
Ms Chan recalled that Macau introduced political reform in 2012, which allowed for more directly elected lawmakers’ seats and an increased number of members in the Electoral College, which elects the Chief Executive.
Furthermore, she stated that Macau’s political development has to be achieved “in compliance with the Basic Law and with the [opinions of the] NPC (National People’s Congress), especially taking into account four main principles,” namely maintaining stability, and protecting the different layers of society.
“The government has been stepping up its efforts to promote the social and economic development of Macau. We will improve electoral laws, namely by improving the competitiveness in indirect elections and [enhancing] transparency. We will be creating a healthy election culture,” said Ms Chan.
The Secretary’s answers were not enough to reassure lawmaker Ng, who reiterated that Macau’s society has evolved, yet its political system is lagging behind.
“It will be causing problems. A survey conducted in Hong Kong showed that [Macau] residents want universal suffrage for the chief executive and AL elections. They wish that at least 50 percent of lawmakers are directly elected. How will you put in motion this political reform?” he asked.
Ms Chan reassured lawmakers that her cabinet will follow up on the issue of political reform, reiterating that it has to be achieved in accordance with the Basic Law and respecting NPC’s thoughts on the matter.
“We are reaching a consolidation phase after the changes were introduced in 2012. Taking Macau’s reality into account, we need to find our own political development path and this requires time. It’s a matter of needing a consensus from different sectors and the population,” she stressed.
Calling for a change in Macau’s political system to allow for universal suffrage, lawmaker Ng took the chance to also reiterate that members comprising a municipal body holding no political power, which was announced by the Chief Executive upon delivering his 2015 Policy Address, should be directly elected by Macau’s people.
“According to clause number 95 of the Basic Law, the members of a municipal body should be elected through universal suffrage. I hope the members will be directly elected,” he stated.
The secretary pledged to work on the establishment of the municipal body in accordance with the Basic Law. “We are still in an assessment phase,” she added.
On Thursday, Ms Chan unveiled a few more details of the new municipal body, stating that it would help Macau in its goal to become “a center and a platform.” On Friday, she added that the government will require services from this municipal body, mainly in the cultural sector.

Amendments to private renting law need ‘consensus’

The director of the Labor Affairs Bureau, Liu Dexue, said that the law regulating private housing rental could only be amended once “there’s a broad social consensus.” He acknowledged that high rent prices are one of the Macau’s population’s concerns, but recalled that this is a free market, and that renting is also closely related with the transaction of housing units.

Coutinho offers meat-shaped stone to IACM

Pereira Coutinho offered a meat-shaped stone to the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau president, Alex Vong, at Friday’s Legislative Assembly plenary meeting. The lawmaker called on the government to put an end “to the monopoly” behind the city’s wholesale markets, which Mr Coutinho says has contributed to increasing the overall price of food produce.

Leonel Alves suggests outsourcing of ‘complex lawmaking tasks’

Leonel Alves has suggested that the government request the support of universities in Macau, Hong Kong or even abroad when faced with complex lawmaking tasks. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, agreed and added that her cabinet would commission studies on legal matters to universities outside Macau when needed.
“There are many legislative tasks and I fear that the government, internally, does not have the capacity to deal with legislative processes that are very technical,” the lawmaker stated at the AL plenary meeting on Friday.
“There’s a need to fearlessly face this issue. There are complex laws, such as the consumer rights law, the law regulating Macau’s financial regime… we must have the courage to request outsourcing. We could ask the universities in Macau or even, if have enough courage, ask for the help of overseas universities for legal support,” lawmaker Alves said.
He added that, “we have done it before and given Macau’s small scale and [the fact that we have] an insufficient number of talents, if there’s a need to draft a law quickly, we must have the audacity to ask universities either in Macau or outside to assist us on this matter.”
Ms Chan recalled that the government has collaborated with scholars on legal matters over the past years.
Lawmaker Alves recalled that there are legal actions still running in Macau’s courts that have dragged on for about 15 years. He hopes the government starts the revision of the Civil Code this year.
On the other hand, Mr Alves alerted the secretary to the revision of the Criminal Code, which he believes is more complex. He advised further: “Please do not think this isn’t a simple matter, [that could be solved] with public consultation, through which non-experts can provide their judgments, as happens often with important legislation.”