Dear CM,
WP does not restrict its members from participating in online
forums - with the exception of the few who sit in the Central
Executive Council.
The CEC (may be called either a "Committee" or a "Council") is by
far the top body in political parties. For WP, both the chairman
and secretary-general of the CEC are parliamentarians and party
spokespersons. For a party like the PAP, virtually the whole CEC is
dominated by cabinet ministers, including the PM who is presently
PAP's secretary-general and the SM and MM, both who were once
secretary-generals and PMs.
Hence, one would expect a CEC to be a powerful body and indeed it
is - it governs the party in the law's eyes. Each member of the CEC
has to articulate the party stand more so than the ordinary member,
a balancing act which is not easy to do and made more difficult if
a CEC member speaks on anything off-the-cuff, even religion.
When the two and myself were posters in SBF, they were CEC members
while I had stepped down after the expiry of the CEC's term (in Jul
2006 after the general election). The internet regulations, which
came around Nov 2006 - 4 months after the new CEC was in place and
included the two who recontested the CEC election after it expired
- did not and still does not apply to me. The two chose to quit the
party showing where their interest really laid. As a believer of
party discipline, I would adhere to the regulations if I had
decided to recontest the CEC election instead of stepping down and
if I really yearned to spread my gospel online, I would choose to
resign from the CEC only. As mentioned in a blog article, I believe
democracy is more for the voting populace than national leaders who
give rights to this voting populace.
Although another guideline discourages WP members from using their
real names, it is only "discourage" - an advisory - and not a
ban.
Regards
