The Macau-Guangdong Union (UMG) 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.
Yesterday was the deadline for electoral lists to submit their respective lists of candidates and political platforms. The UMG list was the last one out of the eight electoral lists that will compete for the 14 seats at stake in the 2025 direct election submitting its list of candidates and political platform. All other seven direct election lists had separately submitted their respective lists of candidates and political platforms before 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.
Six lists will compete for the 12 seats at stake in the 2025 indirect election, where the labour sector is the only sector where more than one list will run, while only one list will run for each of the other four sectors, namely the business sector, the professional sector, the cultural and sports sector, and the social services and educational sector.
The commission pointed out in a statement yesterday evening that the eight direct election lists and the six indirect election lists had all submitted their respective lists of candidates and political platforms by yesterday – the deadline for the submissions of lists of candidates and political platforms for the upcoming direct and indirect legislative elections.
The statement also noted that the commission will post the submitted lists of candidates for the 2025 direct and indirect elections, including their personal information, on the ground floor of the Public Administration Building tomorrow.
The UMG list is the electoral vehicle of the of the Macau Jiangmen Communal Society.
Both the current lawmakers fielded by the UMG list in the direct election four years ago, Zheng Anting and Lo Choi In, will not seek re-election this time. Instead, the list has fielded Joey Lao Chi Ngai and Lee Koi Ian as its first and second-ranked candidates for the 2025 direct election.
Previously, Lao had never run in the direct or indirect election, but he was appointed a lawmaker by the then chief executive Fernando Chui Sai On in 2017, while he was not re-appointed in 2021 when Ho Iat Seng was the chief executive.
Both Lao and Lee will now run in the direct legislative election for the first time.
Lao is an economics scholar, while Lee is a gold jewellery businessman.
Lao currently heads the Strategy and Planning Office of the public University of Macau (UM).
The UMG list has fielded Ng Nga Fan, its eighth-ranked candidate in the direct election four years ago, as its third-ranked candidate for the direct election this time.
The UMG list first ran in the legislature’s direct election in 2009, when Mak Soi Kun, a building contractor, was elected.
The list won one seat in the 2009 direct election, when Zheng was the fifth-ranked candidate.
In the 2013 direct election, the list won two seats, enabling Mak to be re-elected and the then second-ranked candidate Zheng to join the legislature for the first time.
In the 2017 direct election, the list won two seats again, enabling Mak and Zheng to be re-elected.
Mak did not seek re-election in the 2021 direct election, when the list fielded Zheng and Lo as its first-ranked and second-ranked candidates. Four years ago, the list once again won two seats, enabling Zheng to be re-elected and Lo to join the legislature for the first time.
Lo had been a candidate of the UMG list since the 2013 direct election, ranking fourth and third in 2013 and 2017 respectively.
Zheng is a businessman, while Lo is a senior bank executive by profession.
Speaking to reporters after submitting his electoral list’s political platform and list of candidates at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo, Lao said that his list’s political platform will focus on issues such as economic development, improvements in residents’ well-being, youth development, and strengthened cooperation between Macau and Guangdong Province.
Lao also said that a legislator, regardless of being a directly-elected or appointed one, should exercise the same duties and functions, including monitoring the governance and administration exercised by the government.
Lao said that his list’s political platform calls for the government to roll out measures to boost and revitalise the city’s economy.
Also speaking to reporters, Lee said that his list’s election platform calls for the government to launch more measures to help the city’s small- and medium-sized enterprises transform and upgrade their business operations.
Joey Lao Chi Ngai (centre), the first-ranked candidate of the list, speaks to reporters at the Public Administration Building yesterday as the list’s second-ranked candidate Lee Koi Ian (right) and third-ranked candidate Ng Nga Fan look on. – Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
