The Civic Watch electoral list, the No. 2 on the ballot paper for the upcoming direct legislative election, puts special emphasis on various measures helping Macau win the battle against COVID-19 in its campaign platform.
The list’s political platform for the September 12 election comprises 12 major aspects, namely 1) measures tackling the COVID-19 pandemic’s adverse impact, 2) housing and transport, 3) healthcare, 4) urban planning, 5) economy and employment, 6) public administration, 7) civic society, 8) education and culture, 9) women and family, 10) measures for disadvantaged groups, 11) environmental protection, and 12) animal protection.
The Civic Watch list is headed by incumbent lawmaker-cum-mass media scholar Agnes Lam Iok Fong, a former journalist who was first elected in the direct election four years ago after she had failed in her first and second election bids in 2009 and 2013.
Lam headed the Civic Watch list in all the three previous direct elections in 2009, 2013 and 2017. Four years ago, the list garnered 9,590 votes, enabling its first-ranked candidate, Lam, to be elected.
Lam, 49, is an associate professor at the University of Macau’s (UM) Department of Communications.
For the upcoming direct election, the Civic Watch list comprises eight candidates. The list’s number-two candidate is George Zhao Yunqiao, a physician by profession. Zhao, 46, is running in the legislative election for the first time.
The list’s campaign platform urges the Macau government to lift its COVID-19-induced entry ban on foreign domestic helpers. Foreign nationals without a Macau ID card have been barred from entering Macau since March last year. In addition, the platform calls for the government and employers in the private sector to offer their employees COVID-19 vaccination leave. The platform also urges the government to roll out specific measures for those without a smartphone to ensure that they are also able to enter premises which require the display of a Macau Health Code.
The platform urges the government to ensure that the construction of 24,000 public housing units in the Zone A land reclamation area still will get off the ground in its current five-year term. In addition, the platform calls for the reorganisation of the city’s public bus routes.
The platform calls for the government to increase health professionals’ proficiency in English or Portuguese.
The platform urges the government to get its urban renewal plan off the ground.
The candidacy list suggests that the government should renew the city’s existing gaming concessions and sub-concessions, which will expire next year, for a short period to “buy time” for studying the best terms and conditions beneficial to Macau’s future.
The platform also calls for a proactive approach for tackling school bullying.
The candidacy list also urges the government to resume its trap-neuter-return (TNR) programme, calling for the construction of an “animal-friendly” city.
This undated handout photo provided by the Civic Watch direct-election list shows its number-one and number two candidates, Agnes Lam Iok Fong (right) and George Zhao Yunqiao.
