Casino operators warned about Macau election
The Electoral Affairs Commission has ordered casino operators not to invervene in the upcoming Macau legislative election in September.
Macau.- Casino operators have been urged by Macau’s Electoral Affairs Commission for the 2017 Legislative Assembly Election not to intervene in the upcoming electoral campaign for the city’s legislature. The Electoral Affairs Commission issued a warning to operators during a meeting with the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
Acording to GGRAsia, both the Commission and the Bureau announced that they will work together in order to prevent casinos to intervene in the electoral process and ensure they remain neutral and impartial until after the election on September 17.
Casino licencees in Macau can’t, either directly or indirectly, intervene in an electoral campaign process, according to the electoral regulations for the Legislative Assembly approved last year. They are also forbade from acting in order to favour or damage any ticket. In the previous elections, candidates complained about an alleged interference by casino operators.
The Legislative Assembly is divided in three different type of elected lawmakers: a part is directly elected, another portion is appointed by indirect elections and some are designated by the city’s Executive.
In Macau, there are several legislators -directly elected- linked with the gaming industry: SJM Holdings Ltd executive director Angela Leong On Kei successfully campaigned three times; Chan Meng Kam, president of Golden Dragon Group Co Ltd; and Melinda Chan Mei Yi, married to co-chairman and CEO of Macau Legend Development Ltd (also a former legislator).
