Former prime minister and co-founder of the People’s Action Party(PAP) Lee Kuan Yew has stepped down from
the party’s central executive
committee (CEC).
Alongside Senior Minister Emeritus Goh Chok Tong, former PAP
chairman Lim Boon Heng, Wong Kan Seng, George Yeo and Lim Hwee Hua, Lee’s resignation from
the party was accepted by the CEC at a meeting on Wednesday.
They had "proposed to step down to facilitate leadership renewal in
the party", said PAP's second organising secretary Ng Eng Hen in a statement posted
on the party website.
To recognise the "outstanding service and seminal contributions" of
Lee and Goh to the PAP and Singapore, both were conferred the title
of Honorary Past Secretary-General, the party announced.
Party secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong thanked the six
outgoingCEC
members for their “selfless dedication and
sterling service”, noting the key roles they had played in the
party over the years, in particular the elder Lee and Goh, who “led
Singapore’s progress and transformation through four
decades”.
“Leadership renewal in the Party goes hand-in-hand with
self-renewal among MPs and Ministers,” the younger Lee, who is
Singapore's Prime Minister, added.
"The Party has much work ahead of it to strengthen its roots,
extend its outreach, and convince a new generation of voters to
support its ideals, vision, and programmes," he said. “This CEC
change will enable the Party to induct younger members into the
CEC, and form a team which can lead and prepare the PAP for the
next general elections by 2016."
To replace the outgoing six CEC members, the party said it will
pick new members through a poll of PAP branch chairmen, cadres
representing PAP branches, district committees, the Women’s Wingand Young PAP. The selection process is
expected to be complete by its convention in November.