Are Singapore voters sophisticated?

[kingrant]

Thoughtful analysis. It will take years if not decades of alternate party in govt to dismantle and dislodge the whole 'infrastructure' that has come to enshrine their power. Indeed, we would be naive to believe that putting the first Opp govt into power will reverse everything. It would at best be only a start. I am under no illusion that even if the PAP lost their majority, it would only be by a small margin, and the Opp govt may well have to rule with a coalition of sorts. I don't believe that the PAP will be magnanimous in defeat.Then the first 5 years of Opp govt will have to contend with a vindictive PAP in the opposition bench, who will go all out relentlessly to create trouble and undermine the credibility of the new govt. The new govt also has to grapple wth the remnants of a govt machinery and a PA that is pro-PAP. Not easy to displace and replace every key component with good capable people from the alternative Parties, unless more leaders emerge in a post-PAP era, people who did not want to serve with the PAP in the first place. The Opp govt will have to win some more general elections to prove themselves; and the people have to give them the chance to prove themselves. Inevitably, the people will compare the performance without always stopping to reflect that the PAP had over 40 years to consolidate their powerbase and hone themselves to the task. I hope the pople will give the Opp govt time and more than a shot at better govt.

I believe the singapore electorate was first described as 'sophisticated' by the Old Man in his press conference after the 1984 elections. He elaborated by saying 'they want a PAP Govt yet want to send a signal to PAP that they don't like some of the high-handed ways' - somthing to that effect.

Then he followed up by floating 'maybe should have 1 man 2 votes for some...' nonsense.

Whether electorate 'sophisticated or not', such an aspiration as Lee ascribed to the voters is no less illegitimate or unreasonable.

Like they say, takes one to know one. Lee probably projected his own Machiavellian psyche onto the electorate.

However poor its public image, it is too simplistic to dismiss Taiwan parliament as fistfights & dragon kicks.

The chief difference between what we see in Taiwan & contrast with Singapore is in the way the Election Rules & Process have been hijacked by the PAP.

Sad but true, we have to go back to the game-changing Barisan Walkout & British Base Withdrawal fears to begin & entrench the paralysis of one party Parliament tradition.

From 1968 onwards, the long years of party dominance in parliament & safe successful years of the 70s up till 1985, led to Old Man & PAP believing they knew best & should be Unique, screw conventions everywhere.

Hence all the election tinkering & creative mangling - from creating GRCs, NCMPs, NMPs, practically outlawing by-elections etc etc. all in the name of 'we know Singapore best & are adapting practices unique to our political landscape' justification.

If today, everything is still good old simple 1st-past-the-post SMCs, then Singapore Election Results can truly reflect the electorate's wishes.

Today, there is systemic malaise & inertia that seriously distort & frustrate the true wishes of the people. No?

Don't start to say 'when there is a will, there is a way..' - that is a catch all motherhood statement.

With an obese & mutated electoral mechanism, how 'sophisticated' can an electorate get, what room for realistic 'sophistication' ?

 

[Sideswipe]

DPP has a chance at winning the Presidency in 2012 but they don't have a chance in winning the Parliament in 2012 too unless the Chinese Nationalist Party self destruct...

Taiwan is 50 times bigger than Singapore, the politics there are more complex. I wouldn't compare Singapore politics with any countries in the world as we are a one level system of govt.

Away from the big 2 elections ( Presidency and Parliamentary ), the Chinese nationalist Party control 80% of the grassrooots politics in Taiwan ( your town councilors, village heads and representatives ) - that is our equivalent of RC peoples. DPP has to win the local elections before they can hope to gain control of both Presidency and Parliament.