A total of 16 local residents had submitted their nominations by the November 28 deadline that they garnered from members of an electoral conference to run in the upcoming election of 12 local deputies to the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), 15 of which were accepted, according to Iau Teng Pio, spokesman for the 11-member praesidium for the Conference for Electing Deputies of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) to the 14th NPC.
Iau, a lawyer and legal scholar, is a member of the local legislature.
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng is the executive chairman of the 11-member praesidium.
The seven-day nomination period, which started on November 22, ended last Monday. The election of the 12 deputies representing the MSAR in the 14th NPC will be held during the electoral conference’s second plenary session this coming Monday.
Iau said yesterday that during the nomination period, a total of 18 locals had collected the “Registration Forms for Candidates for the 14th National People’s Congress of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China”.
Iau made the remarks during a press conference after the second meeting of the praesidium at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex (informally known as Forum Macao Complex) in Nam Van.
Upon examination by the praesidium, Iau said, 15 candidates aged 18 or above had submitted their respective candidate registration forms and nomination letters endorsed by at least 15 out of the 517 members of the electoral conference, adding that of the 16 locals who submitted registration forms, one was disqualified because he failed to submit the necessary number of nomination letters.
According to Iau, the nine current local NPC deputies seeking re-election are Macau Federation of Trade Unions (known in Cantonese as Gung Luen) Chairwoman Ho Sut Heng, businessman Kevin Ho King Lun, Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (Kai Fong) Chairwoman Ng Siu Lai, lawmaker-cum-civic leader Si Ka Lon, Macau General Women’s Association (Fu Luen) Chief Supervisor Iong Weng Ian, Macau Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In, lawmaker-cum-engineer José Chui Sai Peng, businessman Lao Ngai Leong, and businessman Sio Chi Wai who heads the Macau Development Strategy Research Centre.
Of the 15 candidates, six running in the election for the first time are Ma Chi Seng, Cheng Son Meng, Lao Ka U, Chan Hong, Vong Hin Fai, and Wan Nang Hon.
Ma is a government-appointed lawmaker-cum-businessman, while Vong is a lawmaker-cum-lawyer.
Cheng is a vice president of Kai Fong, while Lao is the chairwoman of the Macau Economic and Livelihood Alliance.
Chan, who is the chairwoman of The Chinese Educators Association of Macau, is also the vice principal of Hou Kong Middle School. Wan, who is the vice president of the Macau Media Workers Association (Gei Hip), is also the vice president and general manager of Macao Daily News, Macau’s top-selling Chinese-language newspaper.
The three current local NPC deputies who are not seeking re-election are Macao Daily News Director Lok Po, lawyer Paula Ling Hsiao Yun, and Keang Peng School Principal Lai Sai Kei.
The 14th NPC is slated to begin its five-year term in March next year.
Lawyer-cum-lawmaker Iau Teng Pio, spokesman for the 11-member praesidium for the Conference for Electing Deputies of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) to the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), looks on during yesterday’s press conference at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex (aka Forum Macao Complex) in Nam Van. – Photo: MPDG
