Representatives of the Union for Promoting Progress were yesterday morning the first group to submit 500 registered voters’ signatures endorsing their list’s candidacy for the upcoming direct legislative election to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL).
The direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on September 14.
The official requirement mandates a minimum of 300 signatures and a maximum of 500 signatures from registered voters. Each voter may endorse only one candidacy list.
Speaking to reporters at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo, Ng Siu Lai, chairwoman of the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (widely known as Kai Fong, the group’s short name in Cantonese), said that their election campaign will be focused on livelihood issues, including housing, transportation, and public security.
Meanwhile, the Macau Creating People’s Livelihood Force was the second group to submit its candidacy nomination form, containing 500 registered voters’ signatures, to the commission yesterday. Tim Wong Tak Loi, who heads a string of Macau-Myanmar associations, represented the group. Wong told reporters that his group, a newcomer to the Legislative Assembly election process, that the current legislature lacked representation of Macau’s disadvantaged groups. He also criticised the government’s recently reformed wealth-sharing scheme, saying its changes lacked public consultation and that disadvantaged groups had expressed dissatisfaction. He also said that the scheme was a way for such groups to tackle financial emergencies. Wong said he hopes to amplify the disadvantaged groups’ voices in the Legislative Assembly.
The Power of Synergy was the third group to submit its candidacy nomination signatures, 400 in total, to the commission.
The group’s incumbent lawmaker Ron Lam U Tou told reporters that its priorities included issues such as youth employment, non-resident workers, and boosting the local economy.
Lam said that Macau’s social environment had changed significantly in recent years and emphasised the need for “genuine” public opinion to be reflected in the legislature. This, he argued, would ensure government policies align more closely with public needs and civil society’s long-term development.
The Alliance for a Happy Home was the fourth group to submit its candidacy nomination signatures to the commission, 500 in total.
Macau Women’s General Association, Iong Weng Ian, who heads the supervisory board of the Macau Women’s General Association, widely known as Fu Luen, its short name in Cantonese, told reporters that the alliance was initiated by her association in collaboration with representatives from the education, business, youth, and professional sectors.
Iong also said that guided by the principle of “building a beautiful home together”, the group’s focus is on education, healthcare, family support, and the community economy, aiming to safeguard the rights of women and children.
The New Hope Group was the fifth and last group yesterday which submitted its candidacy nomination signatures to the commission, also 500 in total.
Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM) José Maria Pereira Coutinho, the trusty of the group’s candidacy nomination committee, told reporters that his group’s key concerns include issues related to the government’s wealth-sharing scheme, civil servants’ welfare, and elderly welfare.
Coutinho, a veteran member of the legislature, said that compared to the previous legislative election in 2021, the number of voters had significantly increased, and the number of candidate lists participating in this election was expected to rise slightly.
In 2021, a total of 19 groups submitted their candidacy nomination forms, but finally only 14 ran in the direct election.
The candidacy nomination process will end this Friday.
Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (Kai Fong) chairwoman Ng Siu Lai talks to reporters at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo yesterday. – Photo courtesy of TDM
