The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election has today accepted Mr Ho Iat Seng as a nominated person entitled to run a campaign for the post of Chief Executive.

The Commission President, Ms Song Man Lei, made the announcement to reporters after completion of the Commission’s assessment process. The period to submit a nomination for the post of Chief Executive had closed on Tuesday (23 July).

Mr Ho was the only person to return a nomination form to the Commission. He received nominations from a total of 379 members of the Chief Executive Election Committee.

The Commission would affix – tomorrow (26 July) – an official notice regarding the news, and the list of the names of the 379 Chief Executive Election Committee members that had nominated Mr Ho.

Ms Song said in her remarks to reporters that other people that had received nominations from Chief Executive Election Committee members – and those members themselves – were entitled to appeal against the Commission’s decision if they wished. Any such appeal had to be lodged on the day following publication of the Commission’s decision. 

Should no appeal be filed, the Commission would on Tuesday (30 July) announce the name of the accepted candidate for the Chief Executive Election, Ms Song added.

Should there be appeals filed by the stated deadline, the Commission would make decisions on such appeals. If there were subsequent appeals against the Commission’s decisions, the Court of Final Appeal would rule on such matters.

In addition, the Commission today decided to use the Macao East Asian Games Dome as the venue to hold the Chief Executive Election, which is scheduled for 25 August.

The 10 August session whereby those accepted as a candidate for the Chief Executive Election have the opportunity to give a presentation, and take part in a question-and-answer session – thereby explaining their election platform – would also be held at the Macao East Asian Games Dome.

During today’s media briefing, reporters asked about issues relating to foreign nationality of a nominated person. Ms Song said in response that the law required candidates accepted for the Chief Executive Election to pledge to renounce any foreign nationality, before taking office as Chief Executive.

The Commission had received such a pledge from Mr Ho Iat Seng, added Ms Song.