Potential Battle royale?
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Opposition guns for 57 seats after reaching electoral pact
By Peh Shing Huei, Ken Kwek
March 11, 2006
The Straits Times
OPPOSITION parties last night met to carve a pact and settled on an ambitious line-up of 57 seats that they intend to gun for at the coming polls.
If this best case scenario happens for them, the People's Action Party (PAP) will not be returned to power on Nomination Day for the first time since the 1991 General Election.
After meeting for nearly an hour, more than 20 opposition figures agreed to take up nine out of the 14 group representation constituencies and all nine single-seats.
Whether they will eventually field candidates in all 57 seats remains uncertain. A more realistic figure would be closer to the low 40s, sources told The Straits Times later.
The agreement was arrived at amicably, said veteran opposition figure Chiam See Tong at an impromptu press conference after the pow-wow at PKMS building in Changi Road.
'We had a very good, fruitful meeting. We have come to a happy conclusion that there will be no three-cornered contests,' he said.
Last night's meeting marked a watershed of sorts for the opposition for reaching a pact early on and for revealing their choice of possible seats to boot.
In previous polls, opposition parties tended to keep their cards completely hidden until Nomination Day. It appears to stem from a desire to want to be known to voters in advance and not be accused of being political Johnny-come-latelys to their wards of choice.
But a little element of surprise remains. For example, the Workers' Party (WP), deemed the party to watch because of its concerted groundwork over the past few years, openly reserved four GRCs.
These are Ang Mo Kio GRC, helmed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Aljunied GRC, Sembawang GRC and East Coast GRC.
But WP chairman Sylvia Lim said: 'We have named four GRCs, but in the end we may go for three.'
The dropped GRC will likely be either Ang Mo Kio or Sembawang.
It is also aiming for three single-seats: its own Hougang, led by WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang, Joo Chiat and Nee Soon East.
The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) led by Mr Chiam settled on the Pasir Ris-Punggol, Jalan Besar, and Tampines GRCs, along with his own Potong Pasir seat which he has held since 1984.
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) got Jurong GRC and prevailed over one new single-seat - Bukit Panjang.
Mr Yip Yew Weng, president of the National Solidarity Party, which is part of the SDA, had made first bid for the seat. But last night he deferred to SDP chairman Ling How Doong, whose PAP opponent may be Mr Teo Ho Pin.
Mr Yip will move to the other new single-seat, Yio Chu Kang, where the PAP's Mr Seng Han Thong may be fielded.
Only one single seat, MacPherson, still has two bidders - the Democratic Progressive Party and the Singapore People's Party. It will be settled amicably, said Mr Chiam.
The most prominent opposition leader in attendance last night was Mr Chiam. Mr Low had a prior engagement, said colleague Miss Lim.
The 57 of 84 seats the parties reserved last night is the best case scenario, but unlikely to come to pass. Sources said that the parties may give up as many as three GRCs due to a lack of resources. If so, the contested seats would drop to 41.
But two unknown factors remain: the emergence of independents and the play that veteran opposition figure J.B. Jeyaretnam is likely to make. He said he intends to contest, provided he can annul himself from bankruptcy at a hearing on Tuesday.
He sent a representative to last night's meeting, who gave nothing away.
'He has a very bad sore throat and could not speak properly,' said Mr Chiam.
Asia1.com -
The opposition seems very confident for this GE. I reckon they think this is the best time to wrestle some seats away from the incumbent party in a long while.
Even JBJ wants to get in on the action.
The incumbent party must be starting to feel the heat now when they realise that all that upgrading promises, calling opposition policies "time bombs" and even the current Budget surplus handouts seem to have limited effect on Singaporeans in terms of favouring the party.
Perhaps this election will mark the start of something new and refreshing in Singapore's political scene. Definitely, there is quiet optimism that the opposition will strengthen and increase their presence in Parliament.
This can only be good for Singapore.
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Mr Yip will move to the other new single-seat, Yio Chu Kang, where the PAP's Mr Seng Han Thong may be fielded
ya...actually, i dont even know who is that Mr Yip...hehe...and he is going to fight Mr Seng, another MP always in the wing of LHL...now YCK becomes a single ward...dunno good or not...
i dunno which not too powerful candidate to vote for...
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i think the opposition's being silly contesting so many seats. in the end, it would be just low thia khiang again with chiam see tong re-elected as a non-constitutency MP for being the opposition loser with the highest number of votes.
every GRC team is like a rojak of good and not so impressive candidates which really adds up to being not so impressive. what a waste of the good candidate's chances. the best candidates should be fielded in single ward seats and not used to anchor a GRC because there is no way the opposition is going to win a GRC. -
At some point, the opposition will have to fight the Ruling party and beat them at their own game. They cannot simply conceed that GRCs are impregnable fortresses and therefore will contest SMCs only. If so, they are already accepting a defeatism mindset.Originally posted by snow leopard:i think the opposition's being silly contesting so many seats. in the end, it would be just low thia khiang again with chiam see tong re-elected as a non-constitutency MP for being the opposition loser with the highest number of votes.
every GRC team is like a rojak of good and not so impressive candidates which really adds up to being not so impressive. what a waste of the good candidate's chances. the best candidates should be fielded in single ward seats and not used to anchor a GRC because there is no way the opposition is going to win a GRC.
Many of the GRCs are not as strong as the Ruling party would have you believe. And not all the constituents are as happy in these GRCs as you would think. For example, Tanjong Pager may house Lee Senior, but apart from him, who else is familiar there? Associate Professor Khoo Tsai Kee? Ms Indranee Rajah? Dr Chong Weng Chiew? Any of these names sound familiar? Do the constituents themselves know these MPs? And what exactly have they achieved for their constituents? And there are strong speculation that Khaw Boon Wan will be 'relocated' to another GRC for the upcoming elections.
Not too long ago, complacency struck the Ruling Party when a Chiam See Tong-led SDP wrested 4 seats, a remarkable feat in those days, underlying the malcontent of the people in key SMCs.
The Ruling Party would do well not to repeat the same complacency and arrogance of the past. Losing 4 GRCs is no longer a case of far-fetched fiction. -
I have no qualms about the opposition trying to contest the GRCs.
At worst, they will lose to the incumbent party but look at it on the bright side, it gives them the opportunity to match wits against the the ruling party in the political arena. This experience can be put to good use in future elections and future political contests.
I don't think you would want an opposition that sits on its bum thinking it will lose everytime without even trying, right?