List of José Pereira Coutinho was the most voted in the elections for direct suffrage to the Macaense Parliament
The list headed by Portuguese deputy José Pereira Coutinho was the most voted in the elections for direct suffrage to the Macao Parliament, which took place this Sunday, according to official data.
According to the portal of the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (Caeal), the New Hope list received almost 43,400 votes (26.7%) of the total and got three of the 14 places that were in dispute.
In the last elections, in 2021, the list led by Coutinho had been the third most voted, with more than 18,200 votes, 13.8% of the total.
This Sunday’s result “caught a lot of people by surprise,” said Coutinho, including the deputy himself, who says leading “a list of few and scarce resources, financial and human.”
Despite the support of the Macao Public Function Association, of which Coutinho is president, the Portuguese argued that the new hope was “a boat with oars” in the face of “five aircraft carrier”.
Secondly, also with three deputies, with 18.2%, was the Macao United Citizens Association, linked to the community with roots in Fujian, in southeastern China.
The remaining four lists, which were able to elect all the deputies, were supported by the main civil organizations of the territory – the Macao Workers’ Federation, the General Union of Macao Residents Associations and the Women’s Association – or the Jiangmen community in the neighboring Guangdong Province.
“It is a historical result. This also translates a huge responsibility,” said Coutinho, who promised to continue “helping to solve citizens’ problems and bridge between citizens and the government.”
In July, the State Security Defense Commission excluded all 12 candidates from two lists, considering them “not defenders of the basic or non-faithful law [Região Administrativa Especial de Macau]”.
One of them was the power of synergy, led by Deputy Ron Lam U Tou and – together with José Pereira Coutinho – one of the few critical voices of the Executive in the Legislative Assembly (AL).
However, Coutinho rejected that his victory was due to the former supporters of the list of Ron Lam, which in 2021 had been the seventh most voted, with almost 8,800 votes: “We have votes from all sectors and all quarters.”
The deputy also denied that support for the New Hope represents a vote of protest in the face of disqualifications, but “a vote of confidence” and “the result of the effort and work of the past, long years.”
The residents went to the polls to elect, for direct suffrage, 14 of the 33 deputies. Another 12 are chosen by indirect suffrage through associations, and seven will be appointed by the government leader.
Although the participation rate fired at the last election in 2021, the number of null or blank votes more than doubled, exceeding 13,000.
