Casino backers still in control of Macau

Min Lee

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2005 | 10:15 a.m.

HONG KONG -- Democrats were the biggest vote-getters in legislative elections held in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau this weekend, but government allies -- including a new crop of politicians representing casino interests -- remain in control of the legislature.

The New Democratic Macau Association gained the most votes in Sunday's election with 23,472, but under a proportional representation system, only won two of 12 elected seats in the legislature, according to election results on the Macau government's Web site Monday.

The rest were filled by pro-government candidates.

Of the 29 legislative seats, 12 are directly elected, 10 are picked by interest groups and Macau's leader appoints candidates for the remaining seven.

The Macau administration has a strong pro-Beijing contingent that favors Chinese rule, unlike in neighboring Hong Kong, where the government must negotiate with an outspoken pro-democracy opposition.

Both Hong Kong and Macau are former European colonies that returned to Chinese rule in the late 1990s. Neither enjoys full democracy.

In a final breakdown of the 12 newly elected lawmakers, two are pro-democracy, four come from the casino industry, four are from civic associations, while the business sector and civil servants account for one each, according to an analysis by Hong Kong broadcaster Cable TV.

Sunday's voter turnout was strong, with 128,830 registered voters participating, yielding a turnout rate of 58.4 percent.

The increased political power of casino interests comes after Macau ended its gambling monopoly and let in foreign investors in 2002. The move has revived the casino scene as operators launch glamorous new projects, such as U.S. casino mogul Sheldon Adelson's gleaming Sands Macau on the waterfront.

Among the new legislators is Angela Leong, the wife of Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho, who used to hold Macau's gambling monopoly.

Ho's casinos, hotels and restaurants reportedly gave away free meals and promoted his wife's campaign logo without directly referring to the election.

Observers will watch if the casino interests, who are already influential, come to shape public policy further, political scientist James Sung at the City University of Hong Kong said.