TOC article: Proposed Reform Party-SDA alliance comes to abrupt halt

[elephanto]

would Chiam's wife be the correct person to take over the party?

Depends on who you ask
To diehard Chiam supporters, sure - most appropriate but correct?

Mrs Chiam - trust & loyalty unquestionable,totally knowledgeable on & familiar with all of Chiam's favourite positions (), so who better to succeed him?

Also, very Asian : e.g. Mdm Wan Aziza political ally of Anwar, Mrs Aquino continue Benigno's legacy etc

But it would also be very overtly nepotism - the very criticism that the Leegime is being hammered with regularly.

 

[Perspective]

I agree with the above view.

It is purely a tactical alliance for dealing with GE especially in tackling GRCs, like what Scroo says. Akin to how DAP, PAS & PKR cooperate during M'sian GEs.

So to read SDA's version that RP is 'joining them' or to hear the idea of RP 'merging' with SDA is really unbelievable ! SDP, WP, NSP, SPP, RP should just be themselves as the efforts needed for a merger is counter-productive & unrealistic & wholly unnecessary except for a spirit of goodwill cooperation during GE.

Note that despite all that talk of 'Barisan Alternative' resulting in Pakatan Rakyat Coalition, the key figure is Anwar Ibrahim, the undisputed (?) Opposition Leader who can command the (grudging?) respect of both PAS & DAP.

There is no such personality or leader in Singapore of enjoying such overwhelming popular & consensual support. And even in Anwar's case, the unity is relative & situational.

Let the whole thing simmer down.

To all the whole spectrum of Opposition Parties:-
Be polite & civil to each other & preferably give each other space & keep each other at arms length & comments of each other to themselves.

Among all the parties, only SDA is an alliance. Chiam's party is actually the SPP. However, SPP owns SDA and holds up SDA as an umbrella inviting others to join them while others do not have that "privilege".

SDA was born to contain SPP, PKMS, SJP and NSP. PKMS is a racial party while SJP is an empty shell. SPP and NSP are the only 2 sizeable parties. Without SDA, NSP will never join SPP as it will never merge fully with SPP. As expected NSP left the alliance showing that SPP and NSP are still 2 different parties. The other 2 stayed because of their insignficance.

In short, you are right that all parties might as well remain separate. 1 or 2 of them will grow strong at PAP's expense later and the rest either die out or really merge with them as they would be very sidelined by then.

 

[scroobal]

I like the way that you put it. Well argued.

When opposition(s) wins seats it is a different story as the opposition MP not in the party CEC shifts his relevance from the party to his ward as the ward's leader. From there the party as a whole grows. Problem is none except 2 parties have a seat and one each.

That is why I always believe you don't get a strong opposition to vote for opposition. You vote for an opposition to get a strong opposition.

 

[scroobal]

Chiam should have inducted his wife long time ago not at this late stage. He should have also spent time grooming a small group. It would have gone down much better. There is time to mend fences. Quite a number who were crucial in 1991 have not joined other parties but have "retired" or stayed away. He should do it while he has the little time. To these people the pre 1991 flavour and style could not be found in other opposition parties. In fact there were plans to publish a book about that period. There were also family oriented flavour in pre 1991 SDP.

would Chiam's wife be the correct person to take over the party?