High-profile casino labour activist Cloee Chao Sao Fong is the number-one candidate of the “New Macau Gaming” list in September’s Legislative Assembly (AL) direct election.
Chao presented her group’s list of candidates and political programme to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo yesterday.
Chao failed in her bid for a directly-elected seat in the legislature’s hemicycle four years ago, when her list garnered 3,126 votes.
According to official statistics, 56,613 people were employed by the local gaming sector at the end of last year.
Chao told reporters yesterday that her list’s election campaign would be focused on the rights and benefits of gaming sector employees. She acknowledged that due to “strong competition” among the 19 rival lists it would be “very difficult” for her list to win one of the 14 directly-elected seats.
The 14 seats are elected by universal suffrage, based on proportional representation.
2 more lists of indirect election
Meanwhile, two more lists submitted their respective lists of candidates and political programmes to the commission yesterday.
The “Joint Candidacy Committee of the Employees Associations” fielded the same first- and second-ranked candidates as four years ago, trade unionists Lam Lon Wai and Lei Chan U. As there is no rival list, Lam and Lei are the only candidates for the labour sector’s two indirectly-elected seats in the legislature. Consequently, both will run unopposed.
Lam told reporters yesterday that their list would be focused on protecting labour rights and promoting economic development in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, apart from calling for strengthening occupational training and professional certification procedures. Lam and Lei are senior members of the influential Macau Federation of Trade Unions (generally known as Gung Luen, its Cantonese name).
Meanwhile, the “Rising Sun Cultural and Sports Union” is the only list for the two indirectly-elected seats reserved for the cultural and sports sector in the legislature. The list’s two candidates are restaurateur Andrew Chan Chak Mo and casino executive Angela Leong On Kei. While Chan is an incumbent indirectly-elected lawmaker, Leong has been a directly-elected legislator since 2005.
Leong is replacing octogenarian businessman Cheung Lup Kwan who is retiring from the hemicycle.
Chan told reporters yesterday that he aimed to further promote Macau’s international role in the area of sports and culture, while Leong said she hoped that Macau could organise more sports and cultural events in the future. Chan and Leong will also run unopposed.
Macau’s 12 indirectly-elected members of the legislature are elected by association representatives.
Following the direct and indirect elections on September 12, the chief executive will appoint seven lawmakers.
Some 42.4 percent of the legislature’s 33 members are directly elected, 36.4 percent are indirectly elected and 21.2 percent are appointed by the chief executive.
The first-, second- and third-ranked candidate of the New Macau Gaming direct election list, Chloee Chao Sao Fong (centre), Lei Man Chao (right) and Leong Lei Kan, pose with slogans yesterday at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo. – Courtesy: TDM
Sitting indirectly-elected lawmakers Lam Lon Wai (left) and Lei Chan U representing the labour sector, who will seek re-election, speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building yesterday. – Courtesy: TDM
Current lawmakers Andrew Chan Chak Mo (centre) and Angela Leong On Kei (second from left), the two candidates of the Rising Sun Cultural and Sports Union indirect election list for the cultural and sports sector, pose at the Public Administration Building yesterday. – Photo: Rising Sun Cultural and Sports Union
