Will next General Election be a watershed?

last SG · 2009-10-23T09:13:04+00:00

Being a historical election its worth waiting for . If the opposition party decide to contest in Tanjong pagar grc, it will be his last attempt to secure a s...

qpicanto SG

With the impending exit from political scene, someone so synonymous with pap, it could be a turning point for SG.

Should the big guns of the opposition camps be aiming at Tanjong Pagar GRC ? For once after so many walkovers since 1991, high time for them to face a STRONG contest.

Will AMK GRC- PM ward likely to face another challenge again?

Will Aljunied GRC still be there?

With the wind of change sweeping across ASIA from Malaysia, to Japan and to Maldives..

Is change on its way?

Really look forward to the next GE and be able to VOTE here in West Coast.

Rooney9 SG

not in the next GE.

for PAP to vote out of office, you need the opposition to form coalition to challenge the incumbent. you also need PAP to screw up badly in its policies, like the way LDP is running Japan so badly for 50 years. then people will want to change and then vote for the opposition, even if they do not have a track record to speak of.

Fantagf SG

With the impending exit of LKY from the political scene, someone so synonymous with pap, it could be a turning point for SG.

Should the big guns of the opposition camps be aiming at Tanjong Pagar GRC ? For once after so many walkovers since 1991, high time for them to face a STRONG contest.

Will AMK GRC- PM ward likely to face another challenge again?

Will Aljunied GRC still be there?

With the wind of change sweeping across ASIA from Malaysia, to Japan to Maldive ..

Is change on its way?

Really look forward to the next GE and be able to VOTE here in West Coast.

I would very much love to see Tanjong Pagar GRC being contested.

Rooney9 SG

I would very much love to see Tanjong Pagar GRC being contested.

not only tanjong pagar lar, but all districts and constituencies.

Fantagf SG

not only tanjong pagar lar, but all districts and constituencies.

I don't wanna expect so much, so I rather hope it starts with the Tanjong Pagar GRC first. Tanjong Pagar with the heavy weight MM, I would wanna see the calibre of oppositions contesting for it. I expect a strong opposition for this GRC.

Rooney9 SG

you know whats the problem with the opposition in singapore? lack of candidates and numbers. I think they should follow other countries opposition and formed a coalition, instead of a disparate 3-4 parties. unless PAP has another split to form another major party again, but I doubt so.

Fantagf SG

I am not very sure about what are the restrictions or requirements to form the opposition parties. All I know of is the ruling party is a big bully to the oppositions, they will do all they can to get rid of them.

qpicanto SG

not only tanjong pagar lar, but all districts and constituencies.

From the 'arsenal' in the PMO, all the 'recycled' ministers there helm a grc,

The 'lau pengs'' heading East Coast GRC,Jurong GRC, Marine Parade GRC and Tanjong Pagar GRC are all there, they must be expecting a tough battle hence "create" space in PMO to park them for the big day.

Anyway East Coast GRC managed a 63.86 % in last GE, which does make it more vulnerable as compared to stronger Marine Parade GRC.

qpicanto SG

not in the next GE.

The next GE should lay the foundation for a stronger opposition presence for time to come.

Japan's opposition swept to a historic victory in elections, crushing the ruling conservative party that has run the country for most of the postwar era ..

Unemployment and deflation -- and an aging, shrinking population -- have left families fearful of what the future holds.

Fed up with the LDP, voters turned overwhelmingly to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which ran a populist-leaning platform with plans for cash handouts to families with children and expanding the social safety net.

Obviously voters don''t go to the polling thinking how Japan is the second largest economy in the world at around US$5 trillion in terms of nominal GDP and third after the United States and China in terms of purchasing power parity.

Japanese voters don't go to polling stations thnking how advanced is their transportation,the 1.2 million kilometers of paved road that is the main means of transportation, a single network of high-speed, divided, limited-access toll roads connects major cities .How some 250 high-speed Shinkansen trains connect major cities.

(JR-Maglev at Yamanashi test track in November, 2005

581 km/h. Guinness World Records authorization)

Voters are concerned with issues that affect them and their families directly like the the long wait for the new HDB flat, for instance.

dare82 SG

From the 'arsenal' in the PMO, all the 'recycled' ministers there helm a grc,

Anyway East Coast GRC managed a 63.86 % in last GE, which does make it more vulnerable as compared to stronger Marine Parade GRC.

Haiz. If Sylvia were to contest in Marine Parade, if the head never step in, I think she can blast almost all the MPs there.

qpicanto SG

Haiz. If Sylvia were to contest in Marine Parade, if the head never step in, I think she can blast almost all the MPs there.

so power Marine Parade GRC- first line of defence is enough to deter an attack.

reyes SG

I THINK PAP WILL STILL IN POWER IN MY LIFETIME THAT IS ESTIMATED ANOTHER 40YEARS

Arapahoe SG

I THINK PAP WILL STILL IN POWER IN MY LIFETIME THAT IS ESTIMATED ANOTHER 40YEARS

The biggerest problems with our parlimentary system is that our political system have not seen any changes according to the sophiscation with the society.

Ideally I think it would be good for Singapore and its civil ministry that PAP will be the minority political party in 2 election.... chip away from 60% to 40% seated in the parliment.

This would allow civil ministry to adjust and work on their interest for Singapore. Create some independent thinking outside the political decision.

This would allow time for opposition to consolidate and hope that a 2 parties system established in our political system.

Also a further refinement of our parlimentary to a 2 houses to create depth for the parliment debate and power distribution. a lengthy process but better voice and debates.

But at the end of the day it is still a culture of not to vote base on party line the hardest to come by.

dare82 SG

so power Marine Parade GRC- first line of defence is enough to deter an attack.

All the MPs witnessed before so soft one. Let Sylvia the iron lady overpower them can be done.

Firdaussaid SG

TS: Firstly, we have to ask ourselves, what exactly would constitute a watershed election? The Opposition winning an entire GRC (perhaps Aljunied)? The PAP being voted in with less than a 60% mandate?

Personally, I think the only reasonably certain outcome is that it will be extremely challenging for the PAP to go back into parliament with a two-third majority of the votes as they (barely) did in 2006 for the simple reason that the last two years have been quite damaging for the ruling party. The Mas Selamat fiasco; the rising costs of public housing; the poor transparency over the loss of billions by Temasek Holdings and the subsequent Chip Goodyear cock-up and most importantly; the high influx of foreigners which Singaporeans find insufferable are all indicators that it is more likely than not that the PAP will be voted in back to power with only a 55-60% approval stamp by the electorate. I hope this statement of mine will be archived here in sgforums so I can brag over my prediction should it prove true in 2 years time.

Coupled with the inane faux pas of high-level ministers e.g. Khaw "Singaporeans should consider putting their eldery in JB retirement homes" Boon Wan, Mah "PAP wards first priority for LUP" Boh Tan and recently, Lim "Better, Cheaper and Faster" Swee Sway, I think the goverment must really move drastically before they embarrass themselves with a C grade for the elections. They cannot forever rehash and reshuffle the old "progress package" or "GST rebate" cards.

But if you define watershed by the ousting of the PAP from cabinet and the opposition forming the government, even the most passionate anti-PAP persons will admit that it is an unrealistic goal. Lee Kuan Yew was stating thetruth when he recently said that the next two elections (2011, 2016) will see the PAP still in power. The simple truth is that the opposition is far from mature, and until you see figures like Chee Soon Juan being replaced with personalities that can truly form a credible alternative government, the PAP looks set to hold on to power for the next two elections.

I think all of us, including those senseless nitwits who post immature postings like "DIE LKY!!!!11111!" in this forum must realize that slowly but surely, the PAP cannot forever stand against the tide. The later generations born post-65 are thoroughly Americanized and carry the Western ideals of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly too close to their hearts for the PAP to ignore them in the long-run. Slowly, but surely, the PAP will have to bend to the people's will beyond 2016.

A country mirrors an individual in terms of development. Singapore in the 60s and 70s was analagous to a toddler that needed strict guidance from a dictatorial father to ensure proper development. The 1981 GE when Jeyaretnam won the first opposition seat since independence can be compared to the onset of puberty for a growing Singapore. Likewise, I would like to think that right now Singapore is akin to a 18-21 year old young adult demanding to be released from the tight, controlling grip of his patriach (personified in Old Lee). Sooner or later, the PAP government will realize that it's time to set the people free, unless they want to risk the electorate disowning them altogether.

BUT, it will take time. Again, I have to emphasize it's a slow but sure process. There's no need to come online to a forum and rave and curse. Let things flow their natural course. Please read the quote below by LKY and reflect on the truth of the statement. The Old Man may be a megalomaniac in his elderly state, but there are still nuggets of wisdom from him:

"If the party doesn’t work, if something goes wrong with the party, you can be sure new parties will come, new contests will come. People will spring up to take on the government in no time at all."

qpicanto SG

Being a watershed election not necessary have to be translated into tangible results at the elections. The intangible effects of the departure of the party strong man is tremendous, it also means that Singapore can finally turn to a new chapter in history. The huge vacuum left behind will likely to impact the psyche of both the ruling party and voters greatly. Will his pending absence affect the voting pattens in SG as a whole remains to be seen?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if opposition can break the 2/3 majority.

Hazel Poa SG

the next election may not be in 2 years. Anecdotal evidence seem to suggest a much nearer date. I am suddenly seeing our MPs appear more often in the neighbourhood, gracing public events, chit chat sessions etc. Another GRC is also seeing their Minister MP suddenly conducting meet the people sessions every week, which apparently wasn't the case previously.

Chew Bakar SG

Might be a strategy of false start to worn out the opponent.

Fantagf SG

Might be a strategy of false start to worn out the opponent.

It is just a start of their rehearsals for the drama, wayang wayang.

charlize SG

I heard from a lot of people that MPs and grassroots people have suddenly popped up from nowhere in recent weeks across the island for door to door visits.

Elections looks likely to come within the next 3-6 months.