In line with the Basic Law, the new LA shall be composed of 27 members including 10 from direct election, 10 from indirect election and seven appointed by the SAR's chief executive.

A total of 96 people from 15 social groups will stand for direct election, and 10 candidates, for indirect election.

The number of registered voters has reached nearly 160,000, or about one third of the SAR's population, and authorities estimate that some 60 percent of them will take part in the poll.

A total of 169 voting booths have been set in the city, including one at the Macao prison. The SAR government has arranged buses free of charge for voters to reach the booths nearby.

Votes will be counted as soon as possible to make the result known to the public late Sunday night, government sources said.

This will be the most important election since Macao returned to the motherland at the end of 1999. Direct election for legislative organs was initiated in Macao in 1976.

(People's Daily 09/23/2001)