Lawmaker Becky Song Pek Kei said yesterday she was confident that the two electoral groups set up by the Alliance for Common People Building Up Macau (API) could garner at least two seats and possibly even win three seats in the direct legislative election.
Lawmakers Chan Meng Kam, Si Ka Lon and Song are board members of the alliance. Chan, who garnered the highest number of votes in the direct election four years ago, is not seeking re-election while Si and Song are leading two separate lists set up by Chan’s alliance.
Si and Song are running under the banner of the Macau United Citizens Association, the No. 9 on the ballot, and the Macau Citizens Development Association, the No. 8 on the ballot. Both group’s lists comprise 10 candidates each.
Speaking to The Macau Post Daily when she was handing out campaign flyers to residents in Iao Hon district, Song, a one-term lawmaker, said her alliance was confident that together they could win at least two seats in the legislature, adding the alliance believed that by fielding two separate groups their chance of achieving the goal could be increased.
Song said her alliance did not have any strategy to share votes with Si’s group. Song said she acknowledged that many registered voters have already decided which group they will vote for in the September 17 direct legislative election, adding that, however, her group has been working hard to gain residents’ support since the start of the official campaign on Saturday.
Song said she was born and raised in a Fujianese grassroots family in the northern district of Macau. After graduating in Law from the University of Macau (UM), Song joined the alliance.
Song attended an election debate hosted by government-owned broadcaster TDM on Tuesday. During the debate, she mentioned the alleged drug trafficking by lawmaker Jose Pereira Coutinho’s two sons, saying that Coutinho had failed to support his sons after their arrests last year by merely saying that “they are on their own in the world now”.
Coutinho, who also attended the debate, said Song’s remarks were a personal attack.
Commenting on the issue yesterday, Song said she did not make up the alleged drug-trafficking case, adding she did not believe her remarks were a personal attack.
The trial of Coutinho’s adult sons started this week.
Song also said she thought that as a lawmaker Coutinho should “hold himself to a high standard”.
Lawmaker Becky Song Pek Kei (fifth from left) and fellow candidates of the Macau Citizens Development Association (No. 8 on the September 17 ballot) pose yesterday in Iao Hon. Photo: Debby Seng
