4 direct-election lists submit political programmes
Four more electoral lists submitted their respective lists of candidates and political platforms to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo yesterday for the upcoming direct legislative election.
The four lists are New Hope, Civic Watch, Macau Collective Energy, and Ou Mun Kong I (“Macau Righteousness”)
The direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on September 12.
Each direct election list must have at least four and no more than 14 candidates.
A total of 19 electoral lists will run in the upcoming direct election. Four years ago, 25 candidacy lists vied for the 14 seats at stake.
Except the Macau Collective Energy electoral list, the other three lists, New Hope, Civic Watch and Ou Mun Kong I ran in the legislature’s direct election four years ago.
The Macau Collective Energy list will run in the direct election for the first time.
While none of the candidates of the Ou Mun Kong I electoral list were elected in the 2017 direct election, the first-ranked candidates of the New Hope list and the Civic Watch list were elected – incumbent lawmakers José Maria Pereira Coutinho and Agnes Lam Iok Fong respectively. For the upcoming direct election, the two lists will continue to be headed by Coutinho and Lam respectively – i.e. both will seek re-election.
The Macau Collective Energy list will be headed by civic leader-cum-current affairs commentator Chan Tak Seng, who was the number-six candidate of the Macau United Citizens Association list in the direct election in 2013, which was then headed by prominent business Chan Meng Kam.
Chan Tak Seng did not run in the 2017 direct election. He told reporters his list would focus its campaign on urban planning issues.
The Macau United Citizens Association list ran in the 2017 direct election, and also will run in the upcoming direct election.
The same as in the 2017 direct election, the Ou Mun Kong I list will be headed by Lee Sio Kuan this time.
Lee is a labour union activist and veteran political activist. He told the media that his list’s campaign would focus on the fight for a higher living standard and better social benefits for the population.
The number-two candidate on Lam’s list is Zhao Yun Qiao, a physician by profession.
Lam told reporters that her list’s election campaign would focus on housing issues and the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
The number two candidate on Coutinho’s list is Che Sai Wang, a public servant. Coutinho told reporters after submitting his list of candidates and political programme that his list would focus its campaign on housing and employment issues.
Accompanied by his fellow candidates of the New Hope electoral list, incumbent directly-elected lawmaker José Maria Pereira Coutinho speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo yesterday after his list submitted its political platforms to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL). – Courtesy: TDM
Accompanied by her fellow candidates of the Civic Watch electoral list, current directly-elected lawmaker Agnes Lam Iok Fong talks to reporters at the Public Administration Building yesterday. – Courtesy: TDM
Chan Tak Seng (front), the number-one candidate of the Macau Collective Energy direct election list, speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building yesterday. – Courtesy: TDM
Lee Sio Kuan (front, right) and Kuong Kai Nang (front, left), the number-one and number-two candidates of the Ou Mun Kong I direct election list, and their fellow candidates pose at the Public Administration Building yesterday. – Courtesy: TDM
