Ambalam to CNA: Stop being ridiculous

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http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4683-ambalam-to-cna-stop-being-ridiculous

Ambalam to CNA: Stop being ridiculous
Friday, 25 March 2011
Singapore Democrats

You say that potential candidates have a direct stake in the outcome of the polls and that is the reason why you restrict participants to potential candidates.

If that is the case then why is it that you stipulated in your first email that the representative must also be a CEC member and an office-bearer? Do you mean that if the candidate is not a CEC member and an office-bearer that he or she has less of stake in the outcome of the election? You are making things up as you go along.

Dear Mr Gandhi,

I refer to your query.

The television forum on Singapore’s future challenges is meant to give voters an insight into the thinking of candidates who will be contesting the general election and who could potentially represent them.

Potential candidates have a direct stake in the outcome of the polls and would be the most appropriate participants in the forum to articulate and argue their party’s position and perspectives.

We look forward to seeing an SDP election candidate at the forum along with other party candidates.

We hope to hear from you by 4pm today.

Thank you.

Lee Siew Hoon (Ms)
Executive Editor
Channel NewsAsia
MediaCorp Pte Ltd

Dear Ms Lee Siew Hoon,

You say that potential candidates have a direct stake in the outcome of the polls and that is the reason why you restrict participants to potential candidates.

If that is the case then why is it that you stipulated in your first email that the representative must also be a CEC member and an office-bearer? Do you mean that if the candidate is not a CEC member and an office-bearer that he or she has less of stake in the outcome of the election?

Obviously this is not the case. You are making things up as you go along.

In the SDP, the entire party has a direct stake in the outcome of the polls. Our candidates are but a part of our campaign. The party leadership, our backroom staff, campaign helpers, etc all have a direct stake in the polls.

So for you to assert that our representative must be a candidate, CEC member and an office-bearer is nonsensical.

You also insist that candidates would be the "most appropriate participants in the forum to articulate and argue their party’s position and perspectives."

Any thinking person would tell you that most appropriate person to articulate a party's position and perspectives is the party's leader. For the SDP it is Dr Chee Soon Juan. However, you insist that he is not allowed to participate.

Again, I ask you to stop being ridiculous and allow the SDP, an independent political party, to make our own decision on who we wish to send to speak on your programme.

Gandhi Ambalam
Chairman
Singapore Democratic Party