The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, met the press today after the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee had deliberated an expository bill on two stipulations of the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) regarding the method for the selection of the SAR's Chief Executive and the method for the formation of the SAR's Legislative Assembly.

Mr Chui expressed his gratitude to the NPC Standing Committee for its exposition on the two stipulations, which he said would help the healthy constitutional development of Macao within the ambit of the Basic Law.

Under the framework of the Basic Law, the Government would proactively and properly roll forward the constitutional development of Macao in accordance with the interpretation by NPC, he said.

This should be done under the principles of enhancing Macao’s economy, the livelihood of its people, democracy and maintaining social stability.

Mr Chui urged the people of Macao to voice their opinions on the following two questions:

1. Should the method for the formation of the Legislative Assembly in 2013 and the method for the selection of the Chief Executive in 2014 be revised?

2. If the methods are to be revised, what then are the principles of the revisions? And how should they be revised?

He said that Government would spare no efforts in gathering public opinions before submitting a related report to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee in early February.

The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda Chan, who also attended the press conference together with the Chief of Office of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Tam Chon Weng, explained the arrangement for the public consultation.

The Government would arrange eight public consultation sessions from 4 January 2012 to 18 January 2012, with seven sessions targeting members of political sector (including members of the Election Committee of the Chief Executive), commercial and financial, labour, social services, education, culture, professional, sport, media and public services sectors, as well as representatives of the Government’s consultation organisations.

One session, on 18 January, will be for members of the general public.

Members of the public may also submit their opinion by mail, email or fax, by 31 January, 2012.

For more information, please visit http://www.cdm.gov.mo/.