Commissioner Against Corruption confident in maintaining a fair election

The Commissioner Against Corruption, Mr Fong Man Chong, said the Commission was confident in maintaining the fairness, integrity and legality of today's Legislative Assembly Election. After casting his vote at the polling station at Portuguese School of Macau, Mr Fong said that the election today would demonstrate that Macao was committed to the elevation of its political atmosphere. He said he believed that all voters would vote with their judgment and conscience in selecting their representatives, and urged those who still had not voted to go to the ballot. Mr Fong also urged the candidates and election helpers to act in accordance with the law. He said that the Commission had maintained close contact with the candidates and found out that many of them acted lawfully, especially after being advised by the Commission. As of the vote-buying case discovered two days ago, Mr Fong said that some people still dared to break the law, and, speaking from the viewpoint of a law enforcer, even one case was one too many. He said that the Commission had been following up on some complaints and admitted that the numbers of acts that tested the boundary of legality had increased to an unprecedented level. Some frontline workers of candidates did not follow the instructions of their respective groups. He said that there is room for enhancement in the current election law and that a revision of this law would help the Electoral Affairs Committee, the Commission Against Corruption and the police in enforcement, as well as better clarify different situations for the candidates. Mr Fong disclosed that Commission officers were stationed near every polling station and they had already corrected some law-breaching acts. He said that the Commission had done its utmost commensurate with its resources. He said that the most crucial thing is the effort of the voters: if they can say 'no' to all the irregularities, they can make a difference to the entire social environment. The Commission is confident and capable of maintaining the fairness, integrity and legality of the election, he stressed.