Three or more corner-fight at Ponggol SMC will split Oppo votes !

[nickname]

Whether there will be a 3-corner or multi-corner fight at Punggol East will hinge very much on who PAP will send to stand for the BE. Also, I doubt there will be a BE. Punggol East can easily merge into Pasir Ris/Punggol GRC without any issue.

 

[HTOLAS]

Your point of view is likely to carry the day but it does raise the question as to why then we need to elect so many MPs during the General Elections.

Whether there will be a 3-corner or multi-corner fight at Punggol East will hinge very much on who PAP will send to stand for the BE. Also, I doubt there will be a BE. Punggol East can easily merge into Pasir Ris/Punggol GRC without any issue.

 

[Nobody888]

Too many political party in Singapore. The real ground was only PAP and WP. PAP had converted other small party (MIC, MCA, UMNO and so on) become a strong party.

The WP leader still sleep. They never try to alliance with other small party to make them strong. .

WP doesn't need to alliance the other smaller party, but just open its "door" and wave to all talent from other sides to join them should be good enough. Invite others to switch to them.

 

[fivestars]

It is very bad idea to open door for monopoly politic like PAP. It is nothing different from PAP.

The real ground will move to new ground NSP too. If NSP can do better than WP and PAP.

 

[Nobody888]

It is very bad idea to open door for monopoly politic like PAP. It is nothing different from PAP.

The real ground will move to new ground NSP too. If NSP can do better than WP and PAP.

Agreed, monopoly politic is not healthy, please take note that it will take long long time (at least 1 generation) for such to happen.

But before that happen, there will be something like 1 or 2(the most) solid parties competing with PAP.

Right now, WP needs to open its door, welcome/accept talented people from the other side, to get stronger. To me, this is what Singaporean needs and has been hoping so much since last two elections. Guessed by now there should be already some young and fresh ones knocking on their door. But, talented with experienced are not so easy to find.

A good strategy is needed here to compete with a mighty big size party. It is no easy job, and a win may also depend if they make enough silly mistakes, sometimes also depends on how charismatic is the opposition leaders. A hot-blooded type just cannot synch with the young Singaporean now.

 

[Picardo]

In this particular by-election, it is best to let it be a 3- or even 4-cornered fight by the strong parties, namely WP/SDP/NSP, since it is not a life-and-death matter but just a single SMC. Focus on the bigger picture. If PAP is still voted in at the BE, so be it.

Firstly, more opposition parties' participation will itself present a good opportunity for the general public to be exposed to issues and information which they otherwise will not have the chance to be exposed to. This can only be good from the point of view of educating the populace, especially after they had been having little chance to be so exposed for decades. Such exposure can only be beneficial to the opposition cause further down the road, namely the next GE. Let the public listen to more (a greater variety) opposition voices at the rallies.

Don't fight over bread crumbs. The priority is to enlighten the many still daft and ignorant but significant non-web-savvy group. They only had been having the chance to be educated once in 5 long years. If they are not educated or given more exposure, they risk becoming even more daft and unchangeable than before. The sad final result may well be extinction of the opposition as an institution.

I for one support a free-for-all contest. Political parties should based their decisions whether to contest based on tactical ground rather than chope-ing rules. People who don't support 3CF should ask themselves if not for the fact that there was a 3CF in Ponggol during the GE11, the person who will take on PAP during this BE will most likely be Desmond Lim based on chope-ing rule. Not the most ideal candidate.

3CF allows the stronger opposition party to progress. Why should we want weaker parties to survive at the expense of better opposition? We are not doing ourselves any justices.

 

[TracyTan866]

In this particular by-election, it is best to let it be a 3- or even 4-cornered fight by the strong parties, namely WP/SDP/NSP, since it is not a life-and-death matter but just a single SMC. Focus on the bigger picture. If PAP is still voted in at the BE, so be it.

Firstly, more opposition parties' participation will itself present a good opportunity for the general public to be exposed to issues and information which they otherwise will not have the chance to be exposed to. This can only be good from the point of view of educating the populace, especially after they had been having little chance to be so exposed for decades. Such exposure can only be beneficial to the opposition cause further down the road, namely the next GE. Let the public listen to more (a greater variety) opposition voices at the rallies.

Don't fight over bread crumbs. The priority is to enlighten the many still daft and ignorant but significant non-web-savvy group. They only had been having the chance to be educated once in 5 long years. If they are not educated or given more exposure, they risk becoming even more daft and unchangeable than before. The sad final result may well be extinction of the opposition as an institution.

I dont think SDP will contest..CSJ has already said he hopes for opposition unity. that's wise. I also dont think KJ, despite what he said, to contest.

I hope that it is a PAP vs WP contest.

But it wld be interesting to see a PAP/WP/RJ contest. KJ may lose his deposit. His angmo english wont endear him to PE residents

 

[Liquigas]

I don't think WP got any good candidates left. And whats the point of 1 more WP candidate when the power houses of WP are already in parliament? For variety, WP should step aside.

Kind of agree ... WP already have a presence and what difference does it make when its candidate who is not a heavyweight make it to parliament? But if say Dr Chee or KJ were to win, then am quite sure parliamentary proceedings will not be the same anymore!

 

[ray_of_hope]

I believe a BE will be called, and likely to be 3 months after the seat was vacated. That would mean a BE just after next year's Budget.

Also, don't rule out the possibility of WP prevailing in a 3CF. Last year's GE results do not apply in a BE.

 

[zhihau]

Last year's GE results do not apply in a BE.

seems as thou' Desmond Lim had been running around Punggol East recently, a 3CF seems prevailing :o:o:o

 

[ray_of_hope]

seems as thou' Desmond Lim had been running around Punggol East recently, a 3CF seems prevailing :o:o:o

I seriously doubt he would want to subject himself to another beating.

 

[zhihau]

I seriously doubt he would want to subject himself to another beating.

certainly hope he can spare himself some dignity, losing the deposit for a second time seriously meant that he's out of the league :o:o:o

 

[GoldenDragon]

I seriously doubt he would want to subject himself to another beating.

He may view it differently. He needs publicity to carry on living, similar to another bro in this forum. I am quite certain Desmond will feature in the BE. After one humiliation, what's there to lose with another?

 

[zhihau]

I am quite certain Desmond will feature in the BE.

bro,
Desmond must be loaded, he's a millionaire?

 

[loneshark]

bro,
Desmond must be loaded, he's a millionaire?

Maybe got sponsor

 

[pakjiaosniper]

I seriously doubt he would want to subject himself to another beating.

DL will run: don't underestimate a sore loser * revenge on WP * take away 5% also shiok
DL will run 2: need to continue to stake claim for SDA in Punggol * OPs think in terms of territory * if he don't run, SDA lose claim for GE * maybe even see WP enter Punggol-PR GRC

 

[PTADER]

Workers Party winning this SMC will signal a new era to come.

A win by WP is a win for many singaporeans, and all Oppo parties at large. we strongly suggest to all Oppo members not to destroy this democratic process at this SMC. Let the Workers Party alone to contest at Ponggol SMC.

Ironical that you should speak about "democracy" even as you urge others parties not to exercise their democratic right to contest or to deny the electorate their democratic right to vote for the candidate or party they support. This is not "democracy".

Democracy is when people and parties are free to contest on their platform of competing ideologies, policies and ideas and the electorate judges and votes accordingly.

The only thing opposition parties have in common is their opposition to the PAP. Other than that, their ideologies, policies and political ethos differ from each other and as a simple matter of common sense, must differ from each other. If they were the same, they will be better off being in the same party. Or, to not be in politics in the first place since they are unable to offer any compelling political visions or ideas and are unable to compete in the marketplace of competing political visions, ideas and ideologies.

I have been struck by the continuing sheer arrogance of the WP, its leadership and its supporters. It is not unlike that of the PAP. It is not unlike that of the SDP in the nineties when Chiam See Tong declared in December 1992 that the SDP was the "second force" in a "two-party political system".

Opposition leaders dismiss Chiam's 'arrogant' claim
147th Prostitute Press
21 December 1992

Marine Parade GRC by-election : The day after ---------------------------------------------

OPPOSITION leaders have dismissed as mistaken and arrogant Mr Chiam See Tong's claim that voters in Saturday's by-election endorsed his Singapore Democratic Party as the second force in a two-party political system.

"Chiam can draw whatever conclusion he likes. It doesn't follow that he is right," said Workers' Party chief J.B. Jeyaretnam yesterday.

"I don't think that the electorate is showing that it only wants two parties."​

The WP, its leadership and its supporters have been in the past and judging by what I read, are still, in all their vacuousness and hubris, echoing the same little, cocky stance which SDP did in 1992.

Desmond Lim has been working that ground since 2006 before Low Thia Khiang made the claim in April 2011 that it was "open" as it was a "new" constituency and sent LLL into that "new" constituency. Desmond Lim, and any parties or any politician, have every right to contest there or anywhere else for that matter if they want to. Whether they want to and will succeed or lose, or lose their deposits, is for them to decide. It is not for the WP or the WP crowd to decide or to berate or to ridicule them into withdrawing. The irony and sheer hypocrisy of the WP and the WP crowd behaving exactly like the PAP bully boys, is not lost on observers.

As a matter of fact, if a party concedes and does not contest because they fear the WP just like they use to fear the PAP, they should stop wasting everyone's time, particularly their supporters time. They should simply pack up and leave politics. What is the point of being in politics if you are fearful or unwilling to contest or are incapable of contesting in elections? In effect, this simply means you and your party acknowledge that you are not a better party or a party that can offer a better candidate that is offered by the PAP or the other opposition parties. It means you and your party have neither the vision nor the ideas that you are confident are better or which you are incapable of selling to the electorate.

You are competing not to oppose the PAP. You are competing not to oppose other opposition parties. You are competing and should be competing to offer the electorate better ideologies, ideas and policies. All these excuses and talk off not "splitting" the opposition votes coming from the likes of NSP and even the SDP is sheer, utter rubbish and nonsense. If you can't, are incapable off or are unable to compete, don't offer pathetic excuses. It fools no one. Shape up for the task. If you are unable to, please ship out.

 

[mei mei]

Perhaps Workers Party should step aside and let other opposition parties contest. For Workers Party to deny others in contesting is not democratic.

 

[andyfisher]

WP hasnt done much or even anything and it will be another chink whose gonna stand..so whats the diff..might as well the bastards get absorbed into a grc...sinks complain but will do jack all so its a waste of time...and yeah its my first post..

 

[scroobal]

Unless WP springs a surprise or gets a credible candidate, they should make way for a better candidate outside of WP. VW comes to mind. VW would make a serious contribution in Parliament. Lets face it we need a lot more fire in Parliament. Town council management is a Singapore PAP construct and that is not role of an MP. MP = Member of Parliament and not Member of Town Council, something that WP must understand.