We are eight days away from the deadline to submit requests for recognition of candidacies for the Legislative Assembly elections: June 6 is the legal limit for hopefuls to undergo prior screening by the Commission for Safeguarding National Security, which will announce on July 15 who may—or may not—run. This vetting includes such criteria as love for Macau and the Motherland; respect for the Basic Law and the Chinese Constitution; and the ever-invoked notion of national security—whose interpretation, in this case, remains vague at best.
Strangely—or perhaps not—a single candidacy has yet to be confirmed; no one is speaking on the subject; not a single voice is rising to inject political energy into the process.
There will presumably be deputies—but it is evident that this electoral process is beginning with no political substance, and none of the enthusiasm that has traditionally lent the position its prestige, visibility, or relevance. At this stage, the silence has not only taken over the palace and its secretariats—who, after a roaring start, have suddenly shrunk back—presumably to study the problems they’ve inherited, those they’ll face, and the ones they’re now creating. Chief among them: the eclipse of public space and the absence of communication, which are rapidly fostering a growing sense of abandonment among a population already anxious over short-term problems.
All of this is unfolding at a pace that is, at the very least, unprecedented. The hesitation now extends to would-be candidates themselves, who are privately questioning whether the role of deputy still holds any value—whether it’s worth exposing themselves in a political climate that’s heating up; whether the Central Government wants them involved at all.
In this context, Xia Baolong’s remark—that not much is expected from deputies except to support the Executive—has done little to elevate the role or dispel the growing doubts surrounding it.
Will more critical deputies be welcomed? Will figures connected to the casino industry be accepted? Will candidates be able to raise their voices on behalf of those who vote for them? These are the silent backstage conversations taking place—some prompted by conscience, others by more obvious personal or corporate interests.
It is even more likely that, should someone need to be blocked, it will happen before any public announcement of their candidacy. That alone would be bad enough—but worse still would be to veto someone already in the process, opening the door to accusations of abuse of power or political persecution. So it is natural that behind-the-scenes negotiations are already underway, even before any public scrutiny begins—yet another factor suppressing electoral energy.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has reminded the public that promoting abstention—or even casting a blank vote—is now considered a criminal offense, following changes to the Electoral Law seemingly designed to enforce the idea of civic duty and collective interest. All this while it becomes increasingly difficult to find anyone even excited to run.
I hope the elections will still find their energy—that there will be room and time for real discussion—and that we might even see a massive turnout at the polls. Sincerely, that is what’s good for the process; that is what matters. Sadly, up to now, there are no signs of it. Quite the opposite.
*General Director of PLATAFORMA
