News

Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan, said today the fifth Legislative Assembly election would push forward Macao's constitutional development, as she urged voters to turn out and cast their votes. Ms Chan said she hoped voters would make their voice heard via the ballot box. After casting her own vote this afternoon, Ms Chan thanked the Electoral Affairs Committee for its contribution and the media for its support. She said the authorities would closely follow today's polls and the Electoral Affairs Committee would submit a report to the Government upon the conclusion of the election. If there is room for improvement in legal or technical terms, she said, the authorities would study it accordingly.
…

The Prosecutor-General of the Public Prosecutions Office, Mr Ho Chio Meng, has encouraged voters to exercise their civic right by voting in today's Legislative Assembly election. Mr Ho, who cast his ballot this morning, described today's polls as an important event in Macao's democratic and political life. Commenting on the case of voters allegedly photographing their ballot forms with mobile phones, the Prosecutor-General reminded voters to abide by the law and the election guidelines issued by the Electoral Affairs Committee. Mr Ho stressed that any violation of the electoral law would not only be a criminal offence, but would also undermine the spirit of democracy and the rule of law. He told reporters that the Public Prosecutions Office had so far formally received one report of alleged bribing connected with the fifth Legislative Assembly election. He added that a prima facie has been established, as earlier announced by the Commission Against Corruption, and therefore it had been returned to the Commission for further investigation. According to Mr Ho, the Public Prosecutions Office had received some reports of vote-rigging, jumping the gun on election campaigning, as well as libel and slander in connection with the present election. But less than 10 of these allege vote-buying. He re-iterated that vote-buying is a serious criminal offence which carries an eight years maximum jail term, and highlighted that the Public Prosecutions Office would take timely and forceful action to prosecute offenders. He added that the current electoral law merely penalises the persons involved in vote buying while the candidate for whom the vote is being bought is not affected at all. He said he believed the law should be amended in line with social developments and that his Office would suggest a proposal to amend the law's revision following on the present investigations.
…

The Commissioner-General of the Unitary Police Service, Mr Jose Proenca Branco, today urged registered voters to fulfill their civic duty and cast their votes. Speaking to the press after voting at Macau Stadium this morning, he also confirmed that three voters have been seen taking photographs of their votes with their mobile phones and that they would be prosecuted with aggravated disobedience charges. He said the police authorities would keep close contact with the Electoral Affairs Committee for the Legislative Assembly Election.
…

The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, today urged voters to go to the polls and vote for their representatives in the Legislative Assembly. Mr Lau cast his own ballot at noon today, and later thanked the staff at all polling stations for their hard work. Speaking to reporters after voting, Mr Lau was asked whether the Government would re-submit to the new Legislative Assembly the draft bill on urban renewal, which was withdrawn earlier. He said that the Government would only be able to get a better picture for drafting the bill after the Land Law, the Urban Planning Law and the Cultural Heritage Protection Law came into effect in March next year. Mr Lau pointed out that legislation on urban renewal is necessary and that the Government would strive to work on drafting the new bill as soon as possible.
…

The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today called on all registered voters to turn out and cast their votes in the fifth election of members to the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Executive made the appeal to voters to exercise their civic right at noon, after casting his own ballot. Speaking to reporters upon leaving the polling station, Mr Chui first thanked the Electoral Affairs Committee for their hard work. He also expressed his appreciation for the media for enabling the general public to get the latest information about today's polls. Mr Chui noted that the Electoral Affairs Committee had strictly abided by the law in the run-up to today's polls to ensure a fair election. He stressed that the Government would not tolerate any violation of the law in this election. When asked about how the administration would improve co-ordination with the legislature, the Chief Executive said the Government would continue to enhance communication with the Legislative Assembly in accordance with the Basic Law.
…

Three voters are under investigation for allegedly taking photographs of their votes with mobile phones, the Electoral Affairs Committee for the Legislative Assembly Election announced today. Committee President, Mr Ip Son Sang, said polling station officers spotted the alleged offences and the cases have been passed on to the Public Security Police and Public Prosecutions Office for investigation. He warned that people who dared to violate election laws and regulations would face relevant legal consequences, including criminal prosecutions. Mr Ip also reported that by 10 am a total of 15,932 voters have cast their votes and all polling stations were functioning properly. He expressed his gratitude to the Chief Executive and all government entities for their support to the Electoral Affairs Committee for the Legislative Assembly Election.
…

The Commissioner of Audit, Mr Ho Veng On, urged all registered voters to cast their votes. Mr Ho voted at the polling station at the Macau Forum this morning, where he urged other voters to vote. He was satisfied with the promotion of the election and the arrangements and order at the polling stations, he said.
…

The President of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Sam Hou Fai, urged all registered voters to cast their votes and exercise their civil rights. Speaking to the press after casting his vote at the polling station at Instituto Salesiano, Mr Sam encouraged all voters to cherish their rights to elect members to the Legislative Assembly.
…

The Secretary for Social Affairs, Mr Cheong U, has urged voters to fulfill their civil rights and duties by coming out and cast their votes in the fifth-term Legislative Assembly election. Speaking to reporters after he had voted at the D. José da Costa Nunes Kindergarten polling station this morning, Mr Cheong said he was glad the number of registered voters had increased by tens of thousands and it was encouraging to see that most of them were young voters, which showed that they cared for Macao. Mr Cheong said he believed that members of the Legislative Assembly who come from various sectors would work together with the government to contribute to the development of Macao in social, economic and political areas. A total of 145 of candidates from 20 lists are contesting 14 directly-elected seats in the election, which is held every four years. The polls opened at 9 am and will close at 9 pm tonight.
…

The 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest unveiled its première fireworks shows tonight with the teams from Spain and South Africa coming first on stage. Their spectacular displays fascinated both foreign and local spectators. The contest features five new elements this year, promising a myriad of fantastic fireworks presented by different teams. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, Cheong U, Director of Department of Culture and Education of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region, Liu Xiao Hang, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macau Special Administrative Region, Feng Tie, Vice President of The Committee of Cultural Industries, Leong Heng Teng and Director of Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes attended the contest's opening ceremony at the Macau Tower Outdoor Plaza. The 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest is held above the sea area in front of Macau Tower on 14, 19, 21, 28 September and 1 October. The teams from France and China will present their fireworks shows on 1 October as a highlight on the National Day. This year's contest boasts five new elements which make a more colorful program. The five elements include "Pyrotechnics Industry Forum", team contestants from five continents around the world, an African fireworks company's debut, laser light effects and a promotional micro movie. MGTO also created a mini site online for The 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. Visitors can browse the site for more details about the latest and past contests. They can also enjoy the micro movie "We Meet．We Love" through a direct link to YouTube on the site. TDM - Radio Macau will live broadcast the fireworks shows' background music on its Chinese Channel every fireworks evening. In addition, this is the first year for TDM-Teledifusão de Macau, S.A. to live broadcast every fireworks display on the company's two TV channels during the contest, providing another option for locals and visitors to enjoy the show. The SMS game is also available again to encourage public involvement. Due to concerns about nautical safety, each interval between two fireworks displays is shortened this year. The first display starts at 9 p.m. as usual, followed by the second display at 9:40 p.m. Every display spans 18 minutes. The ten teams in the 25th contest come from five continents namely Asia, Europe, America, Oceania and Africa. They include fireworks companies from Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Korea, Portugal, Australia, Italy, Canada, France and Mainland China. Four of the teams won the championship in the past Macau contests, showing their prominent pyrotechnic skills. In charge of the first show, the Spanish company Caballer fx & Services, S.L. came back as one of the champions in title, whereas the South African company made its debut in Macau with all its best to fight for a higher rank among other competitors. MGTO works together with the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau again to co-launch the Fireworks Carnival 2013 at the open area next to Macau Tower, filling the fireworks evenings with fun and lively moments. Meanwhile, "Pyrotechnics Industry Forum" is scheduled from 28 September to 1 October as a supporting event of the 25th contest. The forum will explore the topic of pyrotechnics industry development and lead discussions on how it can benefit the tourism industry. The guest speakers include industry professionals, experts and scholars from Portugal, Canada and the Mainland, etc. Approaching the importance of fireworks shows to the tourism industry, their presentations will also cover different topics about the pyrotechnic industry including its development, impact, culture, laws and regulations, environmental protection as well as applied technology.
…