Macau approves ex-judge Sam Hou-fai’s bid to stand as sole contender in leadership election
Electoral Affairs Commission says Sam Hou-fai has been accepted as chief executive candidate for next month’s poll
The Electoral Affairs Commission said on Friday that Sam had been accepted as an candidate following the completion of the relevant examinations.
It cleared an admissibility review for him two days earlier, after he had already secured 386 nominations from the 400-strong Chief Executive Election Committee. Leadership candidates are required to garner at least 66 endorsements to compete.
“The commission did not receive any objections in the period of admissibility checks, hence, in accordance with the Electoral Law for the chief executive, it announced [on Friday] the candidate had been validly accepted,” it said.
The number of endorsements for Sam exceeded those of current Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng, who received 379 votes, or 92 per cent of the total.
The former head of Macau’s Court of Final Appeal earlier expressed satisfaction with the level of support he had received, adding he looked to discuss his campaign platform and future governance philosophy with all sectors of society.
Sam has also arranged at least 20 meetings with electors and local associations since announcing his bid, with the list ranging from groups representing retired civil servants to those for professional dancers.
