Twelve deputies who will represent the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) to the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body, were elected here Saturday.
When the third plenary session of the Conference for Electing Deputies of the Macao SAR to the 10th NPC ended, the presidium of the conference published a list of the 12 deputies and will submit it to the Credentials Committee of the NPC Standing Committee for approval.
Edmund Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of the SAR, chaired the session as executive chairman of the presidium. The deputies were selected, through secret balloting, out of 18 official candidates elected by the 203-member electoral conference.
The election process began on Nov. 2, when the first plenary session of the electoral conference announced a nine-member presidium.
The nomination of candidates was timed between Nov. 5 and Nov. 19 and during the period, a total of 26 people applied to run for the NPC deputies and 20 of them became qualified nominees by obtaining at least 10 nominations each from the members of the electoral conference.
A preliminary election was held on Dec. 5 at the second plenary session of the electoral conference, choosing 18 official candidates.
On behalf of the NPC Standing Committee, Secretary-General of the NPC Standing Committee He Chunlin addressed Saturday's session and extended his warm congratulations to the 12 Macao deputies elected to the 10th NPC, which will convene next spring in Beijing.
During the election, he noted, the majority of the Macao compatriots paid close attention to the development of the motherland, cherished the opportunity to take part in the administration of state affairs, "fully demonstrating that Macao people are not only masters of the Macao SAR, but masters of the country."
He noted the Macao people's enthusiastic participation served as an important guarantee for the success of the NPC deputy election.
He expressed the belief that the deputies will act in the spirit of loving Macao and the motherland, embrace the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, uphold and abide by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law of the Macao SAR, and make positive contributions to the stability and prosperity of Macao and the motherland.
He also expressed his heartfelt thanks for the work of Macao deputies to the 9th NPC.
They have, in accordance with the duties and rights described in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, done a good job for the stability and prosperity of Macao, the modernization drive of the country, and the implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, he noted.
Before the 10th NPC which will convene next spring, he said, the deputies to the 9th NPC will continue to fulfill their duties.
He Chunlin expressed confidence that the SAR's 9th NPC deputies and the newly elected 10th NPC deputies will all uphold the banner of loving Macao and the motherland, unite with people from different walks of life, and make still greater contributions to a brighter future of Macao and the motherland.
Edmund Ho, chief executive of the Macao SAR, also extended his warm congratulations to Macao's newly elected NPC deputies immediately after posting the deputy list.
He believed that the NPC deputies will contribute to the prosperity of both Macao and the motherland by joining the top legislative body of the country to participate in the administration of state affairs.
China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao at the end of 1999 and soon afterwards the SAR had its own deputies to the NPC.
Source: www.people.com.cn
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