Elections 2021 | Hopeful groups announce election candidates

Civil Watch

Civil Watch, New Macau Progressive and Power of Synergy – three parties campaigning on professionalism – announced yesterday their lists of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary election.
The latter two groups submitted their lists of candidates and election platforms yesterday at the Public Administration Building. Meanwhile, the former group held a press conference just to announce their candidates.
The New Macau Progressive held a special rally outside the Public Administration Building, with a speech reviewing its background and history, and presenting its policies.

Civil Watch
Led by incumbent lawmaker Agnes Lam, has listed eight candidates in total. Lam heads the list, followed by George Zhao (medical doctor), Gary Chu (engineering consultant), Addy Chan (mechanical and electric engineer), Jacky Cheong (lecturer of public health), Rebecca Mak (overseas education consultant), Rui Leão (architect) and Jason Wong (lawmaker’s assistant).
The group will focus on economic livelihood in the pandemic-era, employment, support for the disadvantaged, housing, transport, healthcare and economic development, among other issues.
Agnes Lam has not been a particularly popular lawmaker online, with social media users mocking her with occasional sexist remarks. When questioned about these attacks, she said she would defend policies and comments that she believed to be right.
She said that being criticized online was part of the political game, but she said she would “correct her comments if, at the end of the day, the public was convincing enough.”
Lam recognized that the city has laws that guarantee women’s rights, but added that education on gender equality should be streamlined.

New Macau Progressive

New Macau Progressive
This year New Macau Progressive has a list of five candidates. Incumbent lawmaker Sulu Sou leads the list, followed by Rocky Chan, Wong Ip Po, Lei Ka Kan and Chan Wai Chun. It is worth noting that the latter Chan is a founding member of the New Macau Association, which was inaugurated in 1992.
The group is attempting to win two seats in the parliament. It currently holds only one seat.
The New Macau Progressive stressed several times throughout the rally that the team is relatively young: the list has an average age of 35 years. It was also reiterated that young people in Macau are “reliable” in achieving changes.
The group will focus on opening the committee meeting in the parliament. Currently, these parliamentary committee meetings are held with doors closed.
It will also remain its position in calling for democratic political reform, strengthening a sense of morality, discipline, legality and accountability of senior officials, reforming subsidization schemes for autonomous public organizations, as well as publicizing the accounts of subsidized social entities.
He also shared his view on patriotism by citing a Chinese proverb: “Love it tight, blame it harsh,” to illustrate that the more an individual loves their country, the more rigorous they should scrutinize its public administration.

Power of Synergy

Power of Synergy
Of the three groups which announced candidates yesterday, Power of Synergy is the only one without an incumbent lawmaker.
It submitted a list of seven candidates, with Ron Lam and Johnson Ian, both commentators, taking the first two positions. They are followed by Sio Ieng Weng, Che I Kei, Vitor da Rocha Vai, U Iok I and Cheong Iek Chong.
Leading candidate, Ron Lam, said that this list consists of professionals from various sectors, such as medicine and engineering. He hopes that this list will be versatile enough to address the needs of all directions, all levels and all ages in the community. He stressed that the list will “uphold facts and figures to do real work and face problems.”
Reviewing the last election, which was the first time the group participated in a parliamentary election, Ron Lam said that despite the group not managing to win a seat, it has overcome barriers in the past four years to “comment [on] and supervise” the government’s work.
He stressed that the group has also helped many people seeking assistance.