The election of 12 local deputies to the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) took place yesterday morning at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Nam Van, with all nine current local NPC deputies who sought reelection succeeding in their bid, while three out of six candidates who ran for the first time became the local newcomers to China’s top legislature.
The election took place during the second plenary session of the Conference for Electing Deputies of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) to the 14th NPC.
The plenum was attended by 486 members of the electoral conference, which has a total of 517 members, with 33 members absent. Four of the 486 votes were invalid.
Each electoral conference member was required to choose 12 of the 15 candidates, otherwise their votes would have been invalid.
The 14th NPC is slated to begin its five-year term next March. The NPC Standing Committee still needs to formally confirm and announce the election of Macao’s 12 deputies to the Beijing-based legislative body.
Yesterday morning’s session was jointly presided over by Yang Zhenwu, secretary-general of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, and the 11-member praesidium of the electoral conference, including Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, his predecessor Edmund Ho Hau Wah, a vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In. Ho Iat Seng was the executive chairman of the praesidium which had been elected by the conference last month.
A candidate needed to get at least half of the votes of the electoral conference members who cast their ballots to be elected.
The nine re-elected deputies are:
– Businessman Lao Ngai Leong (who garnered 465 votes)
– AL President Kou Hoi In (459)
– Businessman Kevin Ho King Lun (454)
– Lawmaker-cum-engineer José Chui Sai Peng (433)
– Macau Development Strategy Research Centre President Sio Chi Wai (433)
– Lawmaker-cum-civic leader Si Ka Lon (422)
– Macau General Women’s Association Chief Supervisor Iong Weng Ian (411)
– Macau Federation of Trade Unions Chairwoman Ho Sut Heng (404)
– Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations Chairwoman Ng Siu Lai (397).
The three newly elected deputies are:
– Hou Kong Middle School Vice Principal Chan Hong (438)
– Lawmaker-cum-lawyer Vong Hin Fai (437)
– Journalist Wan Nang Hon (407)
Chan Hong is also the chairwoman of The Chinese Educators Association of Macau, while Wan, a vice-president of the Macau Media Workers Association, is also the vice-president and general manager of Macao Daily News.
The other three candidates who ran in the election for the first time but failed to win a seat are lawmaker-cum-businessman Ma Chi Seng (372), Macau Economic and Livelihood Alliance Chairwoman Lao Ka U (179), and Kai Fong Vice-President Cheng Son Meng (71). Ma and Lao are eligible for alternate membership of the NPC as both obtained at least one-third of the votes cast by the electoral conference members.
The three current local NPC deputies who did not seek re-election were Macao Daily News Director Lok Po, lawyer Paula Ling Hsiao Yun, and Keang Peng School Principal Lai Sai Kei.
Newly-elected local NPC deputies Chan Hong, Vong and Wan said that they will focus on upgrading social services, youth affairs and education, and also pay special attention to the nation’s legal system, while improving relevant laws that people need for a better life. In addition, Wan pledged that he will serve the country and the public, The Macau Post Daily reported.
