Representatives of the Macau-Guangdong Union list submitted 500 registered voters’ signatures endorsing the group’s candidacy in the upcoming direct legislative election to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) yesterday.
The direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on September 12.
The officially required maximum is 500 signatures of registered voters while the minimum number is 300. Each registered voter can only endorse one candidacy list.
Macau-Guangdong Union (UMG) ran in the legislature’s direct election four years ago when 25 candidacy lists vied for the 14 seats at stake.
In the 2017 direct election, the Macau-Guangdong Union list got the highest number of votes at 17,214, getting two of its candidates (the first-ranked and second-ranked candidates) elected – current lawmakers Mak Soi Kun and Zheng Anting. Both are senior board members of the Macau Jiangmen Communal Society.
Jiangmen is a city located 64 kilometres north of Macau in Guangdong.
While Zheng was among the representatives of the Macau-Guangdong Union list who submitted the signatures yesterday, Mak was not there.
Speaking to reporters at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo after submitting the signatures yesterday, Ian Soi Kun, the chairman of the Macau Jiangmen Communal Society, said that the UMG list will focus on issues such as housing, traffic, eldercare, and measures helping young local people integrate themselves into the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Ian said that the Macau-Guangdong Union list would comprise candidates from various sectors, adding that the list’s candidates would include newcomers to the direct election.
Each list can field between four and 14 candidates.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Power of Political Thought list submitted about 350 registered voters’ signatures endorsing the group’s candidacy in the upcoming direct legislative election to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission on Tuesday.
Power of Political Thought (PPP) ran in the 2017 direct election, but no candidate was elected.
Speaking to reporters at the Public Administration Building on Tuesday, Nelson Kot Man Kam, the chairman of the Macau Comprehensive Social Research Association said that his list will focus on issues such as traffic, housing, and citizens’ daily life matters that have been adversely affected by the development of the gaming sector.
Kot was the first-ranked candidate of the Power of Political Thought list four years ago.
Kot said that his list this time would comprise professionals from various sectors.
The Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) told reporters last week that at that time six groups had submitted registered voters’ signatures endorsing their respective candidacies in the upcoming direct legislative election to the commission.
Ian Soi Kun, the chairman of the Macau Jiangmen Communal Society, speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo yesterday, after submitting registered voters’ signatures endorsing the Macau-Guangdong Union (UMG) list’s candidacy. – Courtesy: TDM
Nelson Kot Man Kam, the chairman of the Macau Comprehensive Social Research Association, speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building on Tuesday, after submitting registered voters’ signatures endorsing the Power of Political Thought (PPP) list’s candidacy. – Courtesy: TDM
