Electoral College members urge honoring promises

After casting their votes, Electoral College members said that they hope Mr Chui can honor his promises, as well as resolve serious issues in Macau, including the diversification of the economy.
“I hope that [Chui Sai On] will listen more to the public opinion and continue to put up a good performance in the upcoming five years, according to his election promises,” said Electoral College member and formal Legislative Assembly (AL) president Lau Cheok Va.
A similar wish also came from Lei Chi Fong, an Electoral College member from the industrial, commercial and financial sector. He said that he hoped Mr Chui and his new government can “walk the talk.”
Meanwhile, several Electoral College members have mentioned social issues, such as labour shortage and housing problems.
Local casino operator SJM’s CEO, Ambrose So, reiterated that when the government reviews the gambling concession in the future, it should look at the designated purpose of each license.
He also suggested that it will be impossible to fully implement economic diversification during Chui’s tenure.
Nevertheless, he thinks that it is the right direction and hopes that Chui Sai On can lead Macau towards a diverse economy.
AL member Lei Cheng I claimed that there are issues that the current government has failed to address. She said that residents are looking forward to a substantial response from the government. She thinks that the future administration has to implement policies regarding non-
resident workers.
“The government has to contemplate more and come up with responses to problems that are related to the future sustainable development of Macau. Currently, the administration is only solving problems on an ad-hoc basis. However, there is no direction [that leads to] future sustainable development of Macau,” said the lawmaker.
Another lawmaker, Fong Chi Keong, pointed out that the dominance of the gambling industry has drained the local labour force.
He also claimed to support the government’s use of future reclamation zones for the construction of public housing, accusing some property developers of being profiteers.
Mr Fong said that the authority should better control the market, and urged holders of idle lands to develop. However, when reporters asked about the idle lots that belong to him, Fong Chi Keong claimed that they are not idle, just awaiting development.
Additionally, lawmaker José Pereira Coutinho, who previously said that he would rather eat the vote sheet than vote Chui in, was among the four Electoral College members who were absent from the voting process. “My absence is a statement against the current election system,” he told the Times. Mr Coutinho added that the election result does not represent the will of the people.
The lawmaker also believes that the CE should first launch constitutional reform regarding the election of CE and AL members when he has returned to office.
He then pointed out that the new secretaries are essential in the office due to their role in implementing Chui’s political platform. He has criticized the CE for not revealing the criteria for picking the new secretaries.