The initial review of the qualification of the 254 candidacies for the membership of Macao Special Administrative Regions (SAR) Chief Executive (CE) Election Committee has been completed, the formal list of which will be announced next week, the regulatory body of the CE election said Thursday.

The eligible candidacies for the CE Election Committee will be released to the public on March 23, and the formal list of candidacies will be announced on March 25 if no appeal is lodged against the former ones, said Chu Kin, president of the CE Election Affairs Committee, which was appointed by the SAR's current CE, Ho Hau Wah, to oversee the upcoming CE election this year.

According to the relevant SAR law, Macao's new chief executive will be elected within the 300-member CE Election Committee. Some 254 members of the committee will be elected by representatives of the respective socio-economic sectors, such as manufacturing, commerce, finance, culture, education, professions, labor and social services, while 46 others will be picked from local eminent political, business and religious figures.

However, given that the number of the candidacies received by the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) is equivalent to that of the seats needed to be filled in the Chief Executive Election Committee before the deadline, the election for the membership of the committee will not be held on April 26, and the candidates will automatically become committee members without voting, if no special situations occur, said Chu Kin.

So far, the candidates and the exact date for the CE election have not yet been released to the public. By law, the term of the new chief executive will begin on Dec. 20 this year.

In addition to the CE election, the election of the membership of the SAR's Legislative Assembly will also be held on Sept. 20 this year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2009)