The list of qualified candidates for the chief executive (CE) election of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) was announced by the election panel on Monday, with the SAR's ex-Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Chui Sai On being the only name on the list.

A total of four residents applied for the CE candidacy, and only Chui met the requirement of nomination and was accepted by the CE Electoral Affairs Committee, which oversees the upcoming CE election, as a qualified candidate for the SAR's top job.

Under the SAR's CE Election Law, anyone who intends to run for the CE office must be nominated by 50 of the 300 members of the CE Election Committee, within which the new CE will be elected. Chui has dominantly acquired 286 endorsements of the committee members.

The election of the SAR's third CE was scheduled to take place on July 26. Before the election date, Chui will launch a series of campaign activities including a meeting with the 300 committee members on July 11, which will see him announce his political platform and answer questions from the members.

(Xinhua News Agency July 7, 2009)