Edmund Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), urged more registered voters to participate in the on-going legislative poll in Macao on Sunday.

Ho made the remarks while talking to media at Instituto Salesiano, a local middle school where he cast his own vote.

The chief executive said the legislative poll is a significant part of Macao's political affairs and he wishes that all registered voters would cast their votes to elect "the true representatives" of Macao people.

To cast votes is to dedicate efforts to the maintenance of the policy of "one country, two systems," Ho added.

The massive voting was kicked off Sunday morning to generate Macao's third Legislative Assembly (LA)

Over 60,000 voters have cast their votes, according to a latest press release issued by the Information Bureau.

The number of registered voters has reached 220,653, or nearly half of the region's population. The authorities predicted that the voters turn-out will range between 60 to 70 percent of all the registered voters.

In line with the Basic Law, the new LA will be composed of 29 members including 12 from the direct elections, 10 from the indirect elections, which are conducted by community representatives, and seven appointed by the SAR's chief executive.

A total of 125 candidates from 18 social groups contest in the direct elections, and 10 candidates, in the indirect elections.

The provisional results will hopefully be announced on early Monday morning.

Source: Xinhua