The Union for Development (UPD) candidacy list, No.11 on the ballot paper for the upcoming direct legislative election, puts special emphasis on measures supporting jobless residents and those affected by financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The list says it will continue to urge the government to remain steadfast in banning the hiring of non-local casino dealers, table-game supervisors, and commercial drivers.
While the electoral list’s Portuguese name, União Para O Desenvolvimento, is literally translated as Union for Development, its Chinese name, 同心協進會, directly translated, means One Heart Promotion Union.
The list is headed by incumbent lawmaker-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I, 40, with her fellow legislator-cum-unionist Leong Sun Iok, 43, being the number-two candidate. Both are senior board members of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (commonly known as Gung Luen in Cantonese) – one of the city’s biggest community associations, of which the UPD list is the electoral vehicle.
The Macau Federation of Trade Unions has fielded candidates for the legislature’s direct election since 1992, when Macau was still under Portuguese administration.
The UPD list has won one or two seats every direct legislative election since it first took part in 1992.
Fernando Chui Sai On, the chief executive of the Macau Special Administration Region (MSAR) between 2009 and 2019, was the number-two candidate on the UPD list in 1992 when it won two seats. Chui failed in his re-election bid in 1996 when he was the second-ranked candidate. He became the government’s secretary for social affairs and culture on December 20, 1999 when the MSAR was established.
Since 2001 when the MSAR held its first direct legislative election, the UPD list has won two seats every time except in the 2013 direct election when it only won one seat – veteran unionist Kwan Tsui Hang, who retired four years ago.
For Sunday’s direct election, the UPD list comprises 12 candidates.
As in previous elections, this year’s indirect election for the hemicycle’s two seats representing the city’s labour sector is only run by a candidacy list set up by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, which is fielding incumbent lawmakers Lam Lon Wai and Lei Chan U this time. Both are Gung Luen senior board members who first became indirectly-elected legislators four years ago.
Sunday’s indirect election is a fait accompli as there are only 12 candidates for the 12 seats at stake, which represent the city’s various sector.
Ella Lei first became a lawmaker in 2013 through the indirect election, before taking part in the direct election four years ago – the number-one candidate of the UPD direct-election list. Leong first became a legislator in 2017 when he was the list’s number-two candidate.
In the 2017 direct election, the UPD list won the second highest number of votes, at 16,696.
The list’s platform for Sunday’s election comprises six major aspects, namely civil society development, employment, workers’ rights and benefits, daily life matters, youth development, and future development.
The platform urges the government to boost COVID-19 vaccinations, also calling for more relaxed measures for those travelling between Macau and the mainland.
The platform calls Macau to become an eco-friendly city.
The platform urges the government to come up with a “practical and forward-looking” plan to boost the city’s economic recovery for the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
The platform urges the government to always require construction companies which carry out public projects to give priority to employing local workers.
The platform urges the government to improve the legal system on vocational training.
The platform calls for the government to accelerate its process of drafting a trade union bill.
The platform pushes the government to ensure that its various public housing projects get off the ground as scheduled.
The platform also calls for the local government to strengthen its patriotic education for young people.
The list wants the local government to strengthen Macau’s participation in the development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The number-one candidate of the Union for Development (UPD) direct-election list, Ella Lei Cheng I (right), speaks during a campaign activity in Iao Hon last week, as the number-two candidate Leong Sun Iok looks on. Photo: UPD
