The two electoral lists representing the labour sector that will compete for the two seats at stake in the upcoming indirect legislative election submitted their respective lists of candidates and election platforms to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) yesterday.
The legislature’s 12 indirectly-elected seats comprise four seats representing the city’s industrial, commercial and financial sector, three seats from the professional sector, two seats from the labour sector, two seats from the cultural and sports sector, and one seat from the social services and educational sector.
The 2025 direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on September 14.
The labour sector is the only sector where more than one list will run in the upcoming indirect election, while only one list will run for each of the other four sectors.
Consequently, while the candidates of the two lists for the labour sector will compete for the sector’s two indirectly-elected seats, all candidates of the other four sectors’ electoral lists are slated to be elected uncontested.
The number of candidates fielded by each indirect election list must be the same as the respective sector’s number of seats. Consequently, each electoral list for the labour sector must field two candidates.
The two indirect election lists for the labour sector whose candidacies have been accepted by the commission comprise the Joint Candidacy Committee of Employees’ Associations and the Union of Workers’ Associations.
The Joint Candidacy Committee of Employees’ Associations list for the labour sector, which will run in the upcoming indirect election, ran in the indirect election four years ago, while the Union of Workers’ Associations list will run in the indirect election for the first time.
Macau’s direct and indirect Legislative Assembly (AL) elections are held every four years.
In the 2021 indirect election, only one candidacy list ran for each of all five sectors, meaning that all of the then 12 candidates were elected unopposed.
Candidates of the two lists for the labour sector running in the upcoming indirect election spoke to reporters after submitting their respective lists of candidates and candidacy platforms at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo yesterday.
Only one indirectly-elected lawmaker for labour sector seeks re-election
While two lists for the labour sector will compete for the two seats at stake, all four candidates are senior board members of the influential Macau Federation of Trade Unions (commonly known as Gung Luen in Cantonese).
The Joint Candidacy Committee of Employees’ Associations list has fielded sitting lawmaker Lam Lon Wai for the 2025 indirect election, but current lawmaker Lei Chan U, who was the list’s second-ranked candidate four years ago, will not seek re-election this time. Lei is also a Gung Luen senior board member.
Instead, the list has fielded Kong Ioi Fai as the second-ranked candidate this time.
The new Union of Workers’ Associations list has fielded Leong Pou U and Kelvin Choi Kam Fu as its first-ranked and second-ranked candidates.
Lam and Leong are currently two of the Gung Luen vice-chairmen, while Choi is currently one of the Gung Luen vice-presidents.
Lam is one of the current three vice principals of Lou Hau High School, which is run by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Lam said that his electoral list will focus on issues such as the protection of workers’ rights and benefits and government measures to better meet workers’ demands.
Lam said that his list will continue to urge the government to ensure that workers will have more equitable treatment and broader career development prospects, with the aim of enabling the city’s economic development to better benefit workers.
Also speaking to reporters, Leong said that his electoral list will focus on issues such as government measures to promote the city’s economic transformation, improvements in legislation on labour, and the better protection of workers’ legitimate rights and benefits.
Leong said that his list will continue to urge the government to create a better labour environment in the city.
Leong Pou U (left), the first-ranked candidate of the Union of Workers’ Associations list, speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building yesterday as the list’s second-ranked candidate Kelvin Choi Kam Fu looks on.
Current indirectly-elected lawmaker Lam Lon Wai (left), the first-ranked candidate of the Joint Candidacy Committee of Employees’ Associations list, speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building yesterday as the list’s second-ranked candidate Kong Ioi Fai looks on. – Photos courtesy of TDM
