The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), Mr Zhang Dejiang, today said adherence to the one-country principle – while taking advantage of the two-system model – was the basis for the ongoing achievements of the Legislative Assembly.
Speaking to its members this morning, Mr Zhang pointed out that the Legislative Assembly’s achievements also rested on adherence to the rule of law in general, to the country’s Constitution and to Macao’s Basic Law, as well as on close cooperation with the administrative authorities.
During a visit to the Legislative Assembly headquarters, the NPC Chairman raised three points of aspiration. On the visit, he also received a briefing about the Assembly’s work, presented by its President, Mr Ho Iat Seng.
The first point of aspiration, Mr Zhang advised, should be to build firmly a correct understanding of the concept of “country” in the work of the Legislative Assembly. Assembly members should safeguard the country’s Constitution and Macao’s Basic Law, as they had sworn allegiance to the Basic Law and to the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
The second point of aspiration was a continued optimisation of Macao’s legal system. Mr Zhang urged the Legislative Assembly to strengthen cooperation with the administrative authorities in this regard, to forge ahead with further developments that would benefit the Macao SAR.
The third point was to consolidate the spirit of patriotism and love for Macao. Assembly members should monitor the work of the administrative authorities, in a rational manner, while conveying opinion from across the community. They were urged to strive to build a culture as a legislature that incorporated Macao’s distinctive characteristics and facilitated models of democratic and consultative discussion, in order to prevent any use of filibuster or any violent acts in the legislature.
The second day of Mr Zhang’s tour also included a visit to the building of the Court of Final Appeal, where he received a briefing on the work and operation of the courts, given by the President of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Sam Hou Fai, and the Public Prosecutor-General, Mr Ip Son Sang.
Officials in the branches of the judicial system should use their powers – as vested by law – cautiously, legally and for the protection of the people’s rights. Such rules would help ensure – under the “One country, two systems” principle – an administratively-led government model, supporting the law-based governance of the Chief Executive and the SAR Government, said Mr Zhang.
The NPC Chairman affirmed the work of the courts and raised four points of expectation: first, officials of the branches of the judicial system should bear in mind the spirit of the country’s Constitution and of Macao’s Basic Law, notwithstanding that Macao has been implementing the “One country, two systems” principle; second, there should be adherence to the rule of law and a striving to build the authority of law; third, there should be a continuation of the self-development of judicial officials, as they had an influence on the quality of implementation of law; and four, there should be a strengthening of the promotion of the law.