Sam submits 3 more nominations, now 96.5 pct of CE electors backing him

After submitting three more nominations yesterday, potential chief executive candidate Sam Hou Fai has garnered nominations signed by 386 electors of the 400-member Chief Executive Election Committee, representing 96.5 percent of the total, according to a statement by his election campaign office yesterday.

The chief executive candidacy nomination period started on August 29 and ended yesterday.

Sam submitted 383 nominations obtained from members of the committee to the Chief Executive Electoral Affairs Commission (CAECE) on Tuesday morning, i.e., two days before the deadline, at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo where he was accompanied by lawyer Lei Wun Kong, the trustee of his election campaign, lawmaker Ip Sio Kai, the election campaign office’s head, and educator Chan Ka Leong, the office’s deputy head.

The three more nominations endorsing Sam’s candidacy were submitted by Lei yesterday, according to yesterday’s statement.

The statement said that Lei submitted Sam’s three new nominations to a staff member at the electoral affairs counter in the Public Administration Building yesterday, raising the number of nominations endorsing Sam’s candidacy to 386.

Once reviewed and approved by the Chief Executive Electoral Affairs Commission (CAECE), Sam will be the only candidate for the Chief Executive Election on October 13, as no other candidate can garner at least 66 nominations from the 400-strong Chief Executive Election Committee, each member of which can only endorse one candidate.

Current chief executive Ho Iat Seng garnered 379 nominations from the 400-member Chief Executive Election Committee when running his chief executive candidacy in 2019, representing 94.75 percent of the total.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Electoral Affairs Commission told public broadcaster TDM yesterday that a total of 11 people had collected nomination forms during the chief executive candidacy nomination period, but only one of them had submitted nominations to the commission, i.e., Sam.

Sam meets with executives of 6 integrated resort operators

Meanwhile, Sam yesterday met with top executives of Macau’s six integrated resort operators, his election campaign office said in a separate statement yesterday.

The meeting was held at Sam’s election campaign office in Nam Tung Commercial Building in Nam Van.

During the meeting, Sam was accompanied by Lei, Ip and Chan.

The top executives who attended yesterday’s meeting briefed Sam about their companies’ respective efforts on developing non-gaming attractions, disseminating Chinese culture and art, protecting local employees’ jobs, strengthening staff training, and supporting local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

According to the statement, the top executives also said that under the local government’s leadership, their companies expect to continue enhancing their service quality, expanding the sources of customers from foreign countries, and consolidating Macau’s brand as a tourism and leisure city.

During the meeting, the statement said, Sam acknowledged the six integrated resort operators’ contributions to Macau’s economic development, adding that his administration would ensure the continuation of the gaming sector’s healthy and sustainable development, contributing to Macau’s appropriate economic diversification.

Meanwhile, Lei, Ip and Chan met with representatives from the Macau Leisure Tourism Services Innovation Association at Sam’s election campaign office yesterday, according to another statement yesterday.

On Wednesday afternoon, Sam met with representatives from the Association for the Joint Effort of Building a Good Home, a subgroup of the Macau Women’s General Association (known as Fu Luen in Cantonese), according to another statement yesterday.

The association representatives who attended Wednesday’s meeting with Sam included lawmakers Wong Kit Cheng and Cheung Kin Chung.

The representatives raised opinions on topics such as legal reform, urban planning and housing, measures aiming to boost the city’s birth rate, tourism, education, the training of highly-qualified professionals, and senior citizens’ retirement. 

Potential chief executive candidate Sam Hou Fai’s election campaign trustee Lei Wun Kong (right) yesterday submits three more nominations endorsing Sam’s candidacy to a staff member at the electoral affairs counter in the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo. – Photo: Sam’s election campaign office

This handout photo provided by the Sam Hou Fai Election Campaign Office yesterday shows Sam (front, centre) posing on the sidelines of yesterday’s meeting at his campaign office in Nam Van with top executives of Macau’s six integrated resort operators such as Wynn Resorts (Macau) President Linda Chen Chih-ling (from left to right), Melco Chairman Lawrence Ho Yau Lung, MGM China Chairwoman Pansy Ho Chiu-king, Sands China Executive Vice Chairman Wilfred Wong Ying-wai, Galaxy Vice Chairman Francis Lui Yiu Tung, and SJM Managing Director Daisy Ho Chiu-fung.