The New Hope electoral list submitted its list of candidates and political platform for the upcoming direct legislative election to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) yesterday.
The 2025 direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on September 14.
Each direct election list must field at least four and no more than 14 candidates.
The New Hope list, which won two seats four years ago, has fielded current lawmaker José Maria Pereira Coutinho as its first-ranked candidate for the 2025 direct election, but the list, the electoral vehicle of the Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM), has fielded current legislator Che Sai Wang, its second-ranked candidate in the 2021 direct election, only as its third-ranked candidate for the upcoming direct election.
Based on Macau’s proportional representation system, it is quite difficult for an electoral list to win more than two seats in the direct election.
Instead, the New Hope list has now fielded Chan Hao Weng, its fourth-ranked candidate in the 2021 direct election, as its second-ranked candidate for the 2025 direct election. Chan stood as a candidate for the direct legislative election for the first time four years ago.
Che has been a candidate of the New Hope list since the 2013 direct election, ranking fifth in both 2013 and 2017.
Coutinho was first elected in the direct election in 2005 after he had failed in his first election bid in 2001. Coutinho, whose parents were born in Goa when it was still a Portuguese colony, is a prominent member of Macau’s community of mixed Portuguese-Asian descent and upbringing, customarily known as the Macanese.
Coutinho previously worked in the Economic Services Bureau (DSE) – which was upgraded to the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) in 2021 – where he headed the Intellectual Property Department between 1999 and 2001.
Coutinho is the veteran leader of the influential Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM).
Coutinho was re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021. The New Hope list won two seats in the 2013 direct election, when the list’s then second-ranked candidate Leong Veng Chai was elected. Leong failed in his re-election bid in the 2017 direct election when he was the second-ranked candidate as the list won only one seat at that time.
The New Hope list comprises 11 candidates for the upcoming direct legislative election.
Chan, the list’s second-ranked candidate for the upcoming direct election, is currently a public servant working in the Sports Bureau (ID), while sitting lawmaker Che, the list’s third-ranked candidate for the 2025 direct election, previously worked in the Transport Bureau (DSAT).
Speaking to reporters after submitting his electoral list’s political platform and list of candidates at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo, Coutinho said that his list’s political platform will focus on issues such as local residents’ employment, traffic, housing, sports facilities, and an increase in senior citizens’ pensions.
Coutinho also said that his electoral list decided to field Che as its third-ranked candidate this time, instead of the second-ranked candidate, as Che “could not fully commit himself to the position” of a lawmaker.
Coutinho said that the upcoming direct election could be expected to be very competitive, saying that his list is aiming to secure at least one seat this time.
He also said that fellow trade unionist and high-profile Macanese community activist Rita Santos, who was present at yesterday afternoon’s submission of the list’s candidacy list and political platform, had decided not to stand in the election because she wanted to spend more time with her family.
Coutinho denied that her decision was prompted by the recent announcement from Macau’s Public Prosecutions Office, which revealed that Portugal’s prosecution authority had requested judicial assistance regarding a certain association leader in Macau.
“The request pertains to a criminal case linked to the Portuguese parliamentary elections, in which some individuals are alleged to have violated Portuguese election laws in Macau,” the announcement stated.
Local Portuguese media have identified Santos as a person of interest in the case. Santos remained silent yesterday. She had been widely expected by local observers to be New Hope’s second-ranked candidate.
Only eight candidacy lists will compete for the 14 seats at stake in the 2025 direct election, the smallest number of lists since the first direct legislative election was held in 2001 after the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) on December 20, 1999.
Coutinho said that his list’s political platform calls for the government to increase the amount of its wealth-sharing cash handouts to 15,000 patacas from the current 10,000 patacas.
Coutinho said that his election platform calls for the government to increase its pension for senior citizens to 4,500 patacas per month.
The government announced earlier this year that it will increase the monthly pension for senior citizens to 3,900 patacas from the current 3,740 patacas, adding that the increased amount is scheduled to take effect later this year.
The list also calls for free tuition fees for local residents enrolled in the city’s public higher education institutions.
Today is the deadline for the submissions of lists of candidates and political platforms, when the Macau-Guangdong Union (UMG) list, the only remaining direct election list yet to submit its list of candidates and political platform, will make the submissions.
Current directly-elected lawmaker José Maria Pereira Coutinho (right), the first-ranked candidate of the New Hope list, speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo yesterday as the list’s second-ranked candidate Chan Hao Weng looks on. – Photo: Tony Wong
