The newly-established Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) is to elect another seven deputies to the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) in January.

A leading official with the General Office of the NPC Standing Committee said here today that the after the electing of the new deputies, the total number of Macao deputies to the Ninth NPC will come to 12.

Earlier, the Guangdong provincial people's congress had already elected five deputies to the NPC from Macao, who automatically became Macao SAR deputies to the NPC after the establishment of the Macao SAR, the official said in response to a question.

The official said it will be the first time the Macao SAR, as an independent electoral unit, has elected its deputies to the Ninth NPC.

He said that under the Methods for Electing Deputies of the Macao SAR to the Ninth NPC, which was approved by the NPC Standing Committee, the NPC Standing Committee presides over the election of the Macao deputies to the Ninth NPC and the Macao SAR establishes the electoral conference.

A list of the electoral conference members has already made public, and the conference is scheduled to convene its first session at the beginning of next January, he said. The Macao SAR deputies to the Ninth NPC are expected to be decided by the end of January.

The candidates must be Chinese citizens in the Macao SAR, and aged above 18, he said. The Macao deputies to the NPC are required to abide by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Basic Law of the Macao SAR, and the policy of "One Country, Two Systems".

He said the Macao deputies to the NPC are required to attend the NPC sessions, participate in deliberating bills and they can submit bills. They will also participate in various elections, he said.

They also have the obligation to attend activities organized by the NPC Standing Committee during the NPC's adjournment.

The Macao deputies to the NPC can also propose amendments to the basic law and join the Election Committee for electing the Macao SAR's chief executive.

The Macao deputies to the NPC should play an active role in Macao's social affairs, he said. However, they are not allowed to interfere with the work of the Macao SAR and the affairs within the range of the high autonomy enjoyed by the Macao SAR.

The election of the Macao deputies to the NPC is based on the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the Basic Law of the Macao SAR and the Methods for Electing Deputies of the Macao SAR to the Ninth NPC.