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Jeffie Lam

Free rides and cut-price meals were widely available in Macau yesterday during elections for its fifth Legislative Assembly.
But taxis appeared to be a scarcity - unless you were a registered voter and your destination was a polling station.
Some 145,274 people cast their votes in the election between 9am and 9pm at 31 polling stations to elect 14 out of 33 lawmakers. The turnout rate was lower than in the election four years ago. Results were expected early this morning.
Counting was delayed at two polling stations when two candidates, in separate incidents, harassed staff. One of them was led away by police but not arrested.
Ip Son-sang, president of the Electoral Affairs Committee, condemned the behaviour, saying: "Legislative candidates should set a higher moral standard for themselves."
Twelve lawmakers were elected uncontested in functional constituencies and seven others will be appointed by Chief Executive Dr Fernando Chui Sai-on.
Candidates campaigned until the last minute, with some observers saying some antics were close to the limits of acceptability.
Commissioner Against Corruption Fong Man-chong admitted that many acts had "tested the boundary of legality" and had reached an unprecedented level, but he said any complaints would be closely followed up.
"Even one case [of vote-buying] is too many," he said.
Voters were provided with bottled water at one hotel and taxis ran from its forecourt all afternoon to take them to polling stations. One taxi driver said a hotel owner and candidate "gave us 1,500 patacas for the day to take voters to cast their ballots - usually we only earn around 1,000 to 1,200 patacas per day".
Other hotel owners had organised free coach tours - with several routes running every hour - to take their staff to vote and low-priced meals were provided for residents.
A member of staff at another establishment said his employer had provided low-priced buffets especially for the occasion.
Officials at the Electoral Affairs Commission said candidates were allowed to provide transport for voters but were prohibited to promote themselves during the ride and could not offer drinks or inducements to voters in return for votes.
By yesterday evening, at least 13 voters had been arrested for taking pictures inside polling stations illegally.
Ip said the cases had been passed on to the Public Security police and Public Prosecutions Office for investigation.


Complaints surface of attempted vote-buying in Macau elections

A woman looks at posters outside a polling place. Up to 12 voters were arrested yesterday for illegally taking pictures. Photo: KY Cheng

Macau holds low-profile election

Illustration: Henry Wong

Campaigning has been subdued in the run-up to today's election. Photo: AFP

Pan-democrat candidate Au Kam-san hands out election leaflets. Photo: SCMP

Chief Executive Fernando Chui

News

China

Complaints of shady campaign tactics in Macau as 135,000 elect members of Legislative Assembly


Some 145,274 people cast their votes in the election between 9am and 9pm at 31 polling stations to elect 14 out of 33 lawmakers. The turnout rate was lower than in the election four years ago. Results were expected early Monday morning.
