澳門NGO欲效法香港舉行全民公投

In the wake of an unofficial Hong Kong referendum demanding political reform, activists in nearby Macau are planning their own civil referendum to gauge citizen demand for democracy.

在香港舉行要求政治改革的非正式投票之後不久，澳門的政治活動人士正計劃舉行全民公投以衡量市民的民主訴求。

The former Portuguese colony, a short ferry ride from Hong Kong, is governed by China and like Hong Kong is a special administrative region with its own political and economic systems. Since Macau returned to Chinese rule in 1999, like Hong Kong, it has been led by a Chief Executive selected by an election committee dominated by corporations and pro-Beijing interests. Currently, only 400 Macanese citizens are given a say in electing the top leader of the 30-square kilometer peninsula and archipelago. Fernando Chui, the current Chief Executive, is currently running unopposed in an election next month.

澳門曾爲葡萄牙殖民地，與香港僅一水之隔。澳門現在由中國統治，與香港一樣是擁有獨立政治、經濟體制的特別行政區。澳門於1999年迴歸中國，之後也像香港一樣由行政長官領導，行政長官由一個企業界及親北京人士主導的選舉委員會選舉產生。目前這個面積30多平方公里、由半島和羣島組成的特別行政區內只有400名公民可參與行政長官選舉投票。現任行政長官崔世安(Fernando Chui)在下個月的選舉中暫無對手。

Macau's unofficial referendum, planned for August 24-30, echoes the public vote organized last month in Hong Kong by pro-democracy activists Occupy Central. According to Macau Conscience, the activist group sponsoring the vote in Macau, their plan did not take off until a local rally for democracy experienced higher-than-expected turnout in May.

上個月支持民主的維權組織“佔領中環”(Occupy Central)在香港組織了公投後，澳門的非官方公投計劃於8月24日至30日舉行。據舉辦澳門投票的維權組織“澳門良心”(Macau Conscience)稱，5月份澳門當地的一次民主集會參與人數超過預期，之後他們才萌生了公投的想法。

'It was a surprise to me to see 20,000 Macau residents at our rally,' Macau Conscience member Jason Chao told China Real Time. 'Not many citizens really understand how the Chief Executive has been elected, and we want to give them an experience to exercise their civil rights and fight for a democratic election system.'

“澳門良心”成員Jason Chao對“中國實時報”(China Real Time)欄目表示，看到兩萬澳門居民參加他們的集會讓他感到很意外。他說：“很多市民並不真正瞭解行政長官是如何選舉出來的，我們希望使他們有一次行使公民權利、爲民主選舉制度而戰的經歷。”

It's not the first time that Macanese democracy activists have sponsored a public vote. In April 2012, a similar effort drew limited participants, with only 2,600 Macau residents taking part. This year, organizers hope to replicate Occupy Central's unexpected success.

這並非澳門民主活動人士首次舉行公衆投票。2012年4月，一次類似的活動吸引了有限的參與者，只有2,600名澳門居民參加。今年，組織者希望能夠複製“佔領中環”的意外成功。

Macau Conscience's referendum will have two questions: whether residents support universal suffrage for Macau in 2019, and whether they have confidence in the current Chief Executive, Mr. Chui. If a challenger for the city's top office emerges in time for the vote by the city's election committee, which begins on August 24, it will ask respondents which candidate they prefer.

“澳門良心”的投票將包括兩個問題：居民是否支持2019年澳門普選，以及對現任特區行政長官崔世安是否有信心。如果在8月24日澳門選舉委員會開始投票前出現特首競爭人選，它將詢問受訪者更青睞哪位候選人。

The prospects for a democratic Macau, however, are tempered by legal and economic realities. One critical difference between the democratic demonstrations in Hong Kong and Macau lies in their constitutions: while the goal of one day establishing universal suffrage is enshrined in the Hong Kong's Basic Law, Macau's Basic Law does not include the words 'universal suffrage' at all.

不過，法律和經濟現實抑制了澳門的民主化前景。香港和澳門民主示威活動的一個重要區別在於它們的制度不同：最終實現普選的目標就寫在香港基本法中，而澳門的基本法中根本沒有提到普選一詞。

Macau, the 'Monte Carlo of the Orient,' is also heavily dependent on tourism from mainland China. Gambling tourism makes up about 50% of the city's economy and Macau remains the only place in China where Chinese citizens are legally allowed to gamble.

澳門有“東方蒙特卡洛”之稱，仍然嚴重依賴中國大陸游客發展旅遊業。博彩旅遊佔該地區經濟活動的50%左右，澳門仍然是中國唯一一個博彩合法的地區。