Elections 2021 | CAEAL approves 19 lists

A total of 19 nomination lists have been confirmed by the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL), the commission announced yesterday after its regular meeting.
During the nomination period, the CAEAL has received a total of 22 nomination lists. Four of them were required to supply additional information prior to the CAEAL’s confirmation. The other 16 have been confirmed. Two groups have withdrawn from the election.
The four that required additional information included Wui Cheng Peng Toi, Macau Justice, Macau Basic Law Promotion and Marketing Work Union and Grassroots Mutual Assistance.
The former three were recently confirmed by the CAEAL after having supplied supplementary information under request by the CAEAL.
The remaining list has been refused by the CAEAL as they did not manage to supply enough nominations. It supplied only about 100 nominations, according to Justice Tong Hio Fong, president of the CAEAL.
According to election laws, the threshold for running in the direct election constituency in a Legislative Assembly Election is 300 nominations.
Tong reminded the 19 lists to submit their election platforms on or before July 5.
This means that if all lists manage to submit their election platforms on time and the platforms are accepted by the CAEAL, this election will see a maximum of 19 lists.
In addition, Tong disclosed that 42 voters have made multiple nominations. Later on, the CAEAL will pass their details on to the Public Security Police Force for investigation.
Submitting multiple nominations is a criminal offence.
Disease control measures were also on the agenda of yesterday’s meeting. The CAEAL discussed guidelines such as mask wearing, maximum capacity of each voting station, and social distancing.
Tong said that the guidelines will be delivered to the Health Bureau for the latter’s review and confirmation.
All candidate lists will be required to comply with current Health Bureau guidelines.
As for violations, the CAEAL president said that the bureau has so far not received any “obvious complaints”, but he admitted that a formal complaint was received last week.
Earlier this month, the Jiangmen Communal Society took the chance to celebrate the Centenary of the Communist Party of China by distributing disease control resources, which are of actual monetary value. Meanwhile, the streets surrounding the association’s headquarters were packed with people.
The organization is linked to one of the lists running in this election, Macau-Guangdong Union. Complaints have been received on the matter. The CAEAL said it would pass the case to the Commission Against Corruption for further investigation.

Ho Ion Sang confirmed to run in indirect election

Incumbent lawmaker Ho Ion Sang will run in the indirect election constituency this year. He will be running in the Social Service and Education Sector.
“Promoter Union for Progression”, a list in which Ho ran in in the Election in 2017, submitted its candidate list yesterday. The list will focus on housing, transport, environmental protection, urban planning, economic issues and Greater Bay Area development, among other areas.
The list consists of eight candidates, with Leong Hong Sai topping the list, followed by Ngan Iek Hang, Cheong Sok Leng, and five others.
Ng Sio Lai, representative of the list, noted that Ho changed to indirect election as part of an overall strategy.