Three indirect election lists have submitted their respective lists of candidates and political platforms to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) for the upcoming indirect legislative election.
The Legislative Assembly’s (AL) 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.
For each of the five indirect election sectors, only one electoral list will take part in the upcoming indirect legislative election, meaning that all candidates are slated to be elected uncontested.
The direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on September 12.
Sitting lawmakers for business sector & professional sector
The five electoral lists for the upcoming indirect election are: 1) the Union of Macau Business Interests (OMKC) for the industrial, commercial and financial sector, 2) the Joint Candidacy Committee of Employees Associations (CCCAE) for the labour sector, 3) the Union of Macau Professionals’ Interests (OMCY) for the professional sector, 4) the Social Service and Education Promotion Association (APSSE) for the social services and educational sector, and 5) the Rising Sun Cultural and Sports Union for the cultural and sports sector.
The three electoral lists for three sectors – industrial, commercial and financial sector, professional sector, and social services and educational sector – submitted their respective lists of candidates and political platforms to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission on Friday.
The Union of Macau Business Interests (OMKC) has fielded sitting lawmakers Kou Hoi In, José Chui Sai Peng, Ip Sio Kai and Wang Sai Man as its candidates for the upcoming indirect election of the four seats in the industrial, commercial and financial sector.
Kou is the president of the Legislative Assembly (AL).
The Union of Macau Professionals’ Interests (OMCY) has fielded sitting lawmakers Chui Sai Cheong, Vong Hin Fai and Chan Iek Lap as its candidates for the upcoming indirect election of the professional sector’s three seats.
Alan Ho runs for social services & educational seat
However, current lawmaker Chan Hong representing the social services and educational sector, who was the candidate of the Social Service and Education Promotion Association (APSSE) list four years ago, will not seek re-election this time. Instead, this electoral list has fielded current directly-elected-cum-banker lawmaker Alan Ho Ion Sang for the upcoming indirect election of the sector’s only one seat.
Ho is a senior board member of the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (known as Kai Fong in Cantonese), whose electoral list Progress Promotion Union submitted its list of candidates and political platform to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission earlier last week for the upcoming direct election.
Candidates of the three electoral lists spoke to reporters after submitting their respective lists of candidates and political platforms at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo on Friday.
Kou, a local deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), said that his electoral list will focus on issues such as financial support measures for local businesses amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for the tourism sector.
Chui Sai Cheong, who is the vice-president of the local legislature, said that his electoral list will continue to urge the government to draft bills that would improve the regulation of various professional sectors and help improve residents’ daily lives.
Ho said that he is honoured to have received the trust and confidence of representatives from the social services and educational sector so that he can run in the indirect election for the sector.
Ho said that his electoral list will urge the government to strengthen its investments in the city’s social services and educational sector, to improve the city’s social security system and draft bills that would improve the lives of the disabled.
The 33-member Legislative Assembly (AL) comprises 14 deputies directly elected by universal suffrage, 12 deputies indirectly elected by association representatives and seven deputies appointed by the chief executive after the direct and indirect elections.
One more direct election group submits list of candidates, political platform
Meanwhile, the number-one candidate of the Macau Victory electoral list, Lo Chun Seng, submitted his list of candidates and political platform to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) on Friday for the upcoming direct legislative election.
The Macau Victory list will run in the direct election for the first time. It comprises five candidates. However, the other four candidates were not present when Lo submitted the candidate list and political platform.
Lo told reporters that his electoral list will focus on supporting the city’s underprivileged groups, particularly senior citizens. Lo, who submitted the candidate list and political platform accompanied by his mother, said the fact that he took his mother with him was an indication that he would “fully” dedicate himself to the issue of senior citizens’ rights.
A total of 19 electoral lists will run in the upcoming direct election. Four years ago, 25 lists competed for the 14 directly-elected seats in the legislature’s hemicycle.
Current directly-elected lawmaker Alan Ho Ion Sang (front), who will run in the upcoming indirect election for the social services and educational sector, speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo on Friday after his electoral list submitted its political platform to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL). – Courtesy: TDM
Lo Chun Seng (right), the first-ranked candidate of the Macau Victory direct election list, poses with his mother at the Public Administration Building on Friday. – Courtesy: TDM
