Opposition Parties Merging - W

[SpareTyre]

If the PAP deteroriation continues apace in GE 2016, are we facing a Romance of the Three Kingdom situation where the political scene in Singapore is consolidating towards a three party standoff?

WP is now the 2nd party. Other parties, with the possible exception of NSP, face a significant risk of fading out over the next few elections.

The first to merge out of this lot: NSP, SPP, RP, SDP, SDA....will survive to join PAP-WP in the new Singapore democracy. This merger should include NSP, and to a lesser extent SDP, in order to have the best chances of success.

The other issue, is that this third party capitalises on the fast growing pool of talent and vote bank over at the liberal end of the spectrum, so as to differentiate from PAP and WP.

Possibilities mooted so far:

1. NSP-SDP. A merger of the No.3 and No.4 parties make a lot of sense on paper, but would require a serious change of heart or outright purge of the old guard in both parties. Tan Jee Say purportedly suggested it, and it remains to see if he finds sufficient support within SDP. If not, chances are that the SDP A Team may exit.

Chairman: ??? Sec Gen: ???
A Team: A Team: GMS, Hazel, Tony, Nicole
B Team: VW, Michele, Ang, TJS, Sebastian Teo, Cheo


2. SPP-RP-NSP. A flirtation that began last year may still conclude successfully, but both parties are significantly weaker now then they were a year ago. Even if it were to happen, it would require a further merger with NSP to be effective. An arguably more likely variation of this would be a straight SPP-NSP merger

Chairman: CST, SecGen: GMS
A Team: GMS, Hazel, Tony, Nicole, Cheo
B Team: Chiam, Pwee, Jimmy, Kenneth,
C Team: Sebastian Teo, Gilbert Goh,

 

[steffychun]

Chee must resign from the SDP. Number one.

 

[Rimururu]

NSP-SPP is the way to go. As for RP, KJ is well-known to be arrogant and I doubt he will accept any merger which reduces him to a follower. SDP is too different from the others to merge.

 

[Seee3]

NSP-SPP is the way to go. .

I thought it would be NSP-SDP.

 

[SpareTyre]

Re: Opposition Parties Merging - NSP in demand

I thought it would be NSP-SDP.

Rumours at this early stage seems to have SPP and SDP as frontrunners in the courtship of NSP.

SPP can dangle an NCMP seat for NSP

While an SDP deal probably leaves more of the existing NSP management in power.

Whoever is left out will have to lick its wounds and probably approach RP, a very poor consolation prize at this stage of the game

 

[Rimururu]

I thought it would be NSP-SDP.

Very unlikely. Both parties have very different ideologies. One caters to the average Mandarin-speaker and the other towards the English-speaking middle class.

 

[Taro Ries]

PAP = Cao cao?
WP = Liu Bei?
SDP/NSP= Sun Quan?

 

[SpareTyre]

Very unlikely. Both parties have very different ideologies. One caters to the average Mandarin-speaker and the other towards the English-speaking middle class.

Agreed that the SDP old guard is very distinct from the NSP old guard

However, both the new star recruits of both parties are more centrist and thus significantly less far apart

Do they look horribly out of place together?


Tony Tan
Tan Jee Say
Nicole Seah
Vincent Wijey
Hazel Poa
Alec Tok
Michelle Lee
Ang
Gilbert

A NSP-SDP merger may make for a somewhat liberal leaning party with strong centrist roots and cross-racial appeal

Much more appealing than SDP's current position which is too radical for most Singaporean tastes.

In exchange, NSP gets an injection of brainpower and slightly more intellectual aura. And of course the minority votes

Match made in heaven...if all the egos are kept satisfied

Get it done, GMS!

 

[cass888]

Re: Opposition Parties Merging - NSP in demand

SPP can dangle an NCMP seat for NSP

Rubbish. Gerald Giam will pick up the SPP seat. And if Gerald doesn't take it, it is not a foregone conclusion that the seat will be offered downwards. In 1984

a. MPD Nair turned it down
b. Tan Chee Kien also turned it down

They stopped offering it further.

 

[Rimururu]

Agreed that the SDP old guard is very distinct from the NSP old guard

However, both the new star recruits of both parties are more centrist and thus significantly less far apart

Do they look horribly out of place together?


Tony Tan
Tan Jee Say
Nicole Seah
Vincent Wijey
Hazel Poa
Alec Tok
Michelle Lee
Ang
Gilbert

A NSP-SDP merger may make for a somewhat liberal leaning party with strong centrist roots and cross-racial appeal

Much more appealing than SDP's current position which is too radical for most Singaporean tastes.

In exchange, NSP gets an injection of brainpower and slightly more intellectual aura. And of course the minority votes

Match made in heaven...if all the egos are kept satisfied

Get it done, GMS!

Not so much of whether it match, but SDP has an ego around it. They will and never merge and become subordinates. Only possible is the SDP H-BT team, except for Vincent, might join NSP to push their views. Ang Yong Guan will shine better in NSP.

 

[SpareTyre]

Re: Opposition Parties Merging - NSP in demand

Rubbish. Gerald Giam will pick up the SPP seat. And if Gerald doesn't take it, it is not a foregone conclusion that the seat will be offered downwards. In 1984

a. MPD Nair turned it down
b. Tan Chee Kien also turned it down

They stopped offering it further.

Is it a forgone conclusion that the seat WILL NOT be offered downwards?

 

[cass888]

Re: Opposition Parties Merging - NSP in demand

Is it a forgone conclusion that the seat WILL NOT be offered downwards?

It's almost a foregone conclusion that WP won't let it trickle downwards. This is their chance to dominate the opposition bench.

 

[Varuna]

I heard KJ of RP spoke in the rally, as though from MARS like that. He has droopy eyes and can make you want to sleep listening to him, like no battery. I felt more tired and drained after watching his rally instead of feeling energetic with great sense of hope. I think SDP is more aggressive in wanting to merge with other oppostiion parties, one way to help clean up the rotten image acquired from its past, another to draw upon the strength of some candidates, esp from NSP, who have built strong popularity from this election. Looks like it will be a Singapore's version of Romance of Three Kingdoms come 2016 election. I am curious to see who will be the ZhuGe Liang.

 

[Rimururu]

I heard KJ of RP spoke in the rally, as though from MARS like that. He has droopy eyes and can make you want to sleep listening to him, like no battery. I felt more tired and drained after watching his rally instead of feeling energetic with great sense of hope. I think SDP is more aggressive in wanting to merge with other oppostiion parties, one way to help clean up the rotten image acquired from its past, another to draw upon the strength of some candidates, esp from NSP, who have built strong popularity from this election. Looks like it will be a Singapore's version of Romance of Three Kingdoms come 2016 election. I am curious to see who will be the ZhuGe Liang.

I think I do not even feel fired up hearing his speech at Cooling-off day. I disagree with the SDP part though, me thinks most rather stay as SDP than merge. If you see their website and events, they are proud to be from SDP. So a merger with SDP is near-impossible. NSP-SPP merger more likely. I have already mentioned though, for a stronger opposition, you need WP, SDP and combined NSP-SPP. RP and SDA can be slayed or eaten up.

 

[SpareTyre]

Re: Opposition Parties Merging - NSP in demand

It's almost a foregone conclusion that WP won't let it trickle downwards. This is their chance to dominate the opposition bench.

If this were to happen, of course CST will have to strike a deal with LTK for WP to pass on the NCMP seat.

Anyway, if such a deal can be struck, NSP will get Lina Chiam's NCMP seat. We only need for WP to pass once on the Lina Chiam seat for it to reach the NSP.

BTW, what makes you so sure that Gerald also won't be an NCMP already?


Failure to take Oath of Allegiance by non-constituency Member
53. —(1) Subject to subsection (3), if any non-constituency Member declared to be elected under section 52 fails to take and subscribe before Parliament the Oath of Allegiance under Article 61 of the Constitution at the first or second sitting of Parliament during its first session after the general election, Parliament may by resolution declare that his seat has become vacant and that it be filled by the next succeeding candidate at the general election in the order of priority as determined in accordance with section 52(2) from among those candidates who are eligible to be elected as non-constituency Members and have not been so elected.

"Following the general election of December 1984, Opposition candidates Chiam See Tong and J. B. Jeyaretnam were voted into Parliament, thus making one NCMP seat available. This seat was offered to M. P. D. Nair of the Workers’ Party. After Nair turned it down, the seat was offered to Tan Chee Kien of the Singapore United Front who also did not take it up, leaving the NCMP seat vacant."

 

[SpareTyre]

Dream case scenario for GMS

NSP merge with SPP

SDP A Team defect into NSP

GE 2016, the new NSP


Chairman: GMS
Advisor/Vice-Chair: CST
SecGen: Benjamin Pwee

A Team: GMS, Nicole, Tony, Hazel
B Team: Benjamin, Jimmy, Gilbert, Cheo
C Team: VW, TJS, Ang, Michelle
D Team: Sebastian Teo, Jeanette Aruldoss, Steve Chia

This is a lot of merger activity but NSP and SPP in general don't really have an ideology cast in iron...unlike WP or PAP. Much more idelogical flexibility here...and with CST in his winter and a firm supporter of opposition unity PLUS the young turks more amiable than your usual grizzled political battleaxe...it is not impossible. And you do see similar case studies in other emerging democracies where a party comes out of nowhere and builds very quickly through mergers.

The danger though is a very unstable base and confusion to knowing where the power lies.

But it has been done successfully though

 

[cass888]

Re: Opposition Parties Merging - NSP in demand

BTW, what makes you so sure that Gerald also won't be an NCMP already?

So if it is Gerald, then Eric will take Lina's seat. Or even Glenda.

After what GMS said about LTK, I can't imagine LTK giving way to NSP.l

 

[IR123]

It may make sense for individual members to get together and form a new party. However it makes no sense for parties to merge. Some are run by indian chiefs who wants things their way. They have different ideologies.

Let those who cannot make the grade continue to struggle on their own and after a time, die out.

As for the other members, they can consider forming another party. But as history indicates, their alliance may not be sustained. Different ideologies, different hopes and hidden ambitions, possible backstabbing and private accords will make this a loose alliance.

Unless each form a small GRC party. Then the issues can be contained within that small group. This means letting the existing losing parties become shells whilst the talents form new parties of their own. Looking at the above proposals, only three new parties are required.

The SDP A Team shows that there is no need for any old war horse or progenies to spearhead their team. Besides the heroes of today will be forgotten in five years. Thus there is freedom for them to start with a fresh slate and not be tied to anyone or any ideology. What matters is their substance over any love confessions.

My suggestion is that these new members join the WP and form a new sub-team called: Workers Party - Jazz. A jazz version of the WP using the WP's manifesto - no hidden gay agenda, no death penalty, no minimum wages. Just toe the line when it comes to WP's economic, social and political manifestos. But selling the message to the electorate with a style that appeals using a creditable platform.

 

[IR123]

I feel that those who are deserving of the NCMP seats: SPP and the two WPs, should just take it.

Forget about political engineering - it does not and will not work. They are what they are today because they have different ideas. An alliance in form but not in spirit is vulnerable to attacks. It is also conducive to shadow plays. Thus if they are not up to the mark, then let them go.

This election shows that there are plenty of talent. Next election, more will come forth.

 

[IR123]

I am curious to see who will be the ZhuGe Liang.

Low Thia Kiang or someone within his group.