Associations question government on electoral law revisions

Association members have questioned how the government will distinguish between electoral campaigning and association activities during the voting process for the Legislative Assembly, a Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau release stated. The enquiries arose at the fourth consultative session for the Legislative Assembly Election Law revisions.
In addition, the associations present suggested additional installations and equipment for voting sites to facilitate the access of voters with disabilities.
The session welcomed 130 participants from 87 associations and organisations to the Tourism Activities Centre last week, in an event presided over by the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan Hoi Fan, the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) Assistant Commissioner, Lam Chi Long, and the director of the Public Administration of the Civil Service Bureau, Koi Peng Kuan.
Some of the proposed revisions on the Election Law included efforts to define and clarify meanings for promotional efforts associated with electoral campaigning and to regulate promotional efforts; the introduction under the law of a scheme to monitor campaign expenses; a strengthening of supervision on electoral activity, including any electioneering done outside of Macau; an update of the rules for candidacy; and the introduction of a ban on elected members of the Legislative Assembly holding any political position in a foreign country, as previously reported by Business Daily.
After association members presented their concerns and suggestions, Kou Peng Kuan noted that any policies for the support of voters with disabilities would only be defined after the creation of the legislative Assembly Election Committee, which will also be in charge of establishing the instructions for associations to set up the distinction of association activities and electoral campaigning, the release stated.
Lam Chi Long of the CCAC also presented a suggestion in the proposed revisions of a system for associations to declare to the Committee their planned activities during campaigning, which would then be made public and subject to the scrutiny of the public and CCAC.