Around 57 percent of the registered voters cast their votes yesterday at 37 polling stations spread across the city. While many agree the voting process was easier than four years ago, some residents are still skeptical over Macau’s voting procedures, and others are unaware of Macau’s controversial voting system. Speaking to the Times, several voters criticized the SAR’s voting system, arguing that the 14 directly elected seats in the Legislative Assembly (AL) are not enough. They suggested that the 12 seats nominated by the functional constituency system should be reduced to allow for more directly elected seats. “There are not enough direct selections. It doesn’t make sense that the government can have that many appointed representatives,” said a 60-year old resident who refused to be identified.
Questioned whether he would also call for universal suffrage, the citizen responded, “later on, but this time, [we] cannot.”
Echoing the same sentiment, another registered voter expressed that the 2017 AL elections was only for a show, adding that some lawmakers only serve out of personal interest.
“I think this [election] is only commercial. It’s nothing. The assembly and everyone [in the AL] is commercial. [They] do not want to help the population, but only themselves,” said another Macau local, who also refused to be identified.
Full Article: Some voters remain apprehensive over region’s political system | MACAU DAILY TIMES 澳門每日時報.