As the new election laws took effect in October, over 20,000 Macao permanent residents who are eligible but have yet to register have completed their voter registrations so far, said Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan, secretary for administration and justice of the Special Administrative Region (SAR), on Monday.

The SAR's newly-enacted Voter Registration Law, Chief Executive Election Law and Legislative Assembly Election Law took effect on Oct. 15. Under the new laws, permanent residents aged at least 18 have the right to vote, irrespective of nationality or place of birth, and those aged at least 21 have the right to stand for election.

Chan said over 1,000 eligible residents registered as voters merely on Monday, and she also urged those residents who are eligible and yet to register to complete the registration at the end of this year, when the registration period ends.

The elections for the SAR's legislative assembly and the chief executive will take place next year.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2008)