“I can’t really believe it. I have been deprived of my political rights without any reason,” said Joe Chan, who also acknowledged that the decision effectively represents a lifelong ban from participating in any election.
The new electoral law, which came into effect in April 2024, states that individuals who have been deemed “not defenders of the Basic Law or not loyal to the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China” in the five civil years preceding the election cannot run for office.
In a statement, the CDSE explained that when a candidate is excluded for lack of patriotism, all other candidates from the same list are also removed.
Joe Chan expressed anger and disappointment that the reasons for his exclusion were not communicated to him and demanded an explanation and the disclosure of evidence from the electoral commission. “Can they provide evidence, guidelines, or advice so that I can improve my situation?” questioned the activist.
On Tuesday, the president of the Electoral Affairs Commission of the Legislative Assembly assured that the binding opinions of the CDSE, from which there is no appeal, “have a clear and sufficient legal basis” and were drafted “taking the facts into account.”
However, Seng Ioi Man refused to disclose the facts that led to the exclusion, arguing that “the work and documents of the State Security Defense Commission are confidential.” The disclosure of this information “could pose certain risks to national security and should not and cannot be published,” added the judge.
On Tuesday, the president of the Electoral Affairs Commission of the Legislative Assembly assured that the binding opinions of the CDSE, from which there is no appeal, “have a clear and sufficient legal basis” and were drafted “taking the facts into account.”
Joe Chan, who is also an environmentalist and educator, said that the only reason he can find for his exclusion is that he sometimes “speaks against them,” referring to the authorities of the semi-autonomous region.
For decades, Chan has dedicated himself to environmental protection in Macau. “If the government wants to build an ecological island and do something against pollution, I often speak out and can even be a bit critical,” he admitted.
The ecological island is the name given by the Macau government to a landfill planned south of the current island of Coloane—a plan against which Joe Chan launched a petition.
Is that why I’m not loyal enough to the government to support its policies?” questioned the environmentalist.
The Synergy Power list is led by current deputy Ron Lam U Tou, who was the seventh most voted in the last elections in 2021, with 8,764 votes.
Ron Lam, one of the few critical voices of the executive in the Legislative Assembly (AL), admitted on Tuesday that the exclusion “was very sudden.” “I am at peace with my conscience. My initial intention for Macau will not change. I believe the sun always comes after the storm,” he told Lusa.
The exclusion also affects the Popular Livelihood Force list in Macau, led by social worker Alberto Wong, who was running for the AL for the first time. In 2021, it was the electoral commission that excluded five lists and 21 candidates—15 of whom were pro-democracy.
With Tuesday’s decision, six lists will compete in the elections on September 14, eight fewer than in 2021. The AL consists of 33 members, of which 14 are elected by direct suffrage, 12 by indirect suffrage through associations, and seven are subsequently appointed by the head of the local government.
