Young democracy activist among Macau election winners

Flag of Macau (Photo By PhiLiP – GB 17654-1999 澳门特别行政区区旗, Public Domain)

HONG KONG — Macau voters have elected a young pro-democracy activist to the Chinese casino capital’s legislature, as opposition lawmakers expanded their presence at the expense of candidates linked to the gambling industry.

The results released early Monday are a surprising sign of faith in young people with progressive ideas among Macau’s notoriously apathetic electorate.

Official results showed that 26-year-old Sulu Sou won a seat in voting Sunday for the city’s semi-democratic legislature.

Sou’s party, the New Macau Association, favours full democracy for the 33-seat legislature, where some seats are filled by trade and special interest groups or appointed by the city’s top leader.

Results showed 57.2 per cent of registered voters turned out to vote in Macau, a special Chinese region near Hong Kong.