The election of 12 local deputies to the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) took place yesterday morning at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Nam Van, with all nine current local NPC deputies who sought re-election succeeding in their bid, while three among six candidates who ran in the election for the first time became the local newcomers to the nation’s top legislature.
The election took place during the second plenary session of the Conference for Electing Deputies of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) to the 14th NPC.
The plenum was attended by 486 members of the electoral conference, which has a total of 517 members, with 33 members absent. Four of the 486 votes were invalid.
Each electoral conference member was required to choose 12 of the 15 candidates, otherwise their votes would have been invalid.
The 14th NPC is slated to begin its five-year term next March. The NPC Standing Committee still needs to formally confirm and announce the election of Macau’s 12 deputies to the Beijing-based legislative body.
Yesterday morning’s session was jointly presided over by Yang Zhenwu, secretary-general of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, and the 11-member praesidium of the electoral conference, including Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, his predecessor Edmund Ho Hau Wah, a vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In. Ho Iat Seng was the executive chairman of the praesidium which had been elected by the conference last month.
According to the session, a candidate needed to get at least half of the votes of the electoral conference members who cast their ballots in the election, for him or her to reach the required prerequisite to be elected, i.e., the required prerequisite of yesterday’s election was at least 243 votes.
The nine re-elected deputies are businessman Lao Ngai Leong (who garnered 465 votes), AL President Kou Hoi In (459), businessman Kevin Ho King Lun (454), lawmaker-cum-engineer José Chui Sai Peng (433), Macau Development Strategy Research Centre President Sio Chi Wai (433), lawmaker-cum-civic leader Si Ka Lon (424), Macau General Women’s Association (known in Cantonese as Fu Luen) Chief Supervisor Iong Weng Ian (411), Macau Federation of Trade Unions (Gung Luen) Chairwoman Ho Sut Heng (404), Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (Kai Fong) Chairwoman Ng Siu Lai (397). The three newly elected deputies are Hou Kong Middle School Vice Principal Chan Hong (438), lawmaker-cum-lawyer Vong Hin Fai (437), and journalist Wan Nang Hon (407).
Chan Hong is also the chairwoman of The Chinese Educators Association of Macau, while Wan, a 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.
Among the 12 elected deputies, Lao garnered the highest number of votes – 465, while among the six candidates who ran in the election for the first time, Chan Hong garnered the highest number of votes – 438.
The other three candidates who ran in the election for the first time but failed to win a seat in the Great Hall of the People are lawmaker-cum-businessman Ma Chi Seng (372), Macau Economic and Livelihood Alliance Chairwoman Lao Ka U (179), and Kai Fong Vice-President Cheng Son Meng (71). Ma and Lao are eligible for alternate membership of the NPC as both obtained at least one-third of the votes cast by the electoral conference members.
The three current local NPC deputies who did not seek re-election were Macao Daily News Director Lok Po, lawyer Paula Ling Hsiao Yun, and Keang Peng School Principal Lai Sai Kei.
Meanwhile, newly-elected local NPC deputies Chan Hong, Vong and Wan told the media separately after the session that they will focus on upgrading social services, youth affairs and education, and also pay special attention to the nation’s legal system, while improving relevant laws that people need for a better life. In addition, Wan pledged that he will serve the country and the public.
Eleven of Macau’s 12 NPC deputies elected yesterday – Sio Chi Wai (from left to right), Chan Hong, Ng Siu Lai, Ho Sut Heng, Iong Weng Ian, José Chui Sai Peng, Lao Ngai Leong, Vong Hin Fai, Wan Nang Hon, Kevin Ho King Lun, and Si Ka Lon – pose after the second plenary session of the Conference for Electing Deputies of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) to the 14th NPC, at the Forum Macao Complex in Nam Van. – Photos: Yuki Lei
Legislative Assembly President Kou Hoi In, who was also elected a deputy to the 14th NPC yesterday, talks to the media after his election, at the complex.
