The significance of the election results
1. Singaporeans tend to vote for the incumbent, unless he/she screws up badly (Case in point: Ling How Doong)
2. The PAP's old methods of hijacking issues through the media, lawsuits and character assasination do not work anymore. It swings neutral and undecided voters against them.
3. When the two old Grandpas bring out their sledgehammers against the opposition candidates without any proper basis for their arguments, it turns voters against them. Say goodbye to idol worship. I believe GCT is highly embarrassed that his presence in Hougang and Potong Pasir and his carrot-dangling trick resulted in a larger opposition margin. LKY also swung voters away from the PAP when he made fun of Low Thia Khiang's poor command of English. Arrogance does not go down well with Singaporean voters. What this means is that the PAP campaign is on the whole much better off in the future without the two Grandpas shooting their big mouths off.
4. The PAP camp is not one, united front as a casual reading of the Straight Times might suggest. Today, George Yeo (who beat WP in Aljunied by only 7%) let on that the PAP might have captured a larger share of the votes if not for the Jamez Gomez saga. Total silence from LKY and GCT in today's papers. No word from Wong Kan Seng similarly. (If I am wrong, someone correct me?) When WKS took on the James Gomez issue, I believe George Yeo was pretty silent? Lessons? Too many cooks spoil the broth! Also, strategies that benefit the PAP as a whole might not benefit it in a particular constituency.
***UPDATE:
http://www.straitstimes.com/sub/latest/story/0,5562,391401,00.html?
May 7, 2006
'Singaporeans won big in GE': SM Goh
THERE are only winners in this election, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said, describing it as a 'beautiful GE' where 'Singaporeans won big'.
"There are only winners in this election," - Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong (in the foreground). -- Alphonso Chan
'The PAP set out to have a strong mandate for the Prime Minister, and Prime Minister Lee won a resounding victory. PAP also set out to self-renew its membership in Parliament. All the 24 new candidates have been returned.
'And the opposition also won. The Workers' Party did very well. It fielded candidates of higher quality, and so the Workers' Party won Hougang with an increased majority. So Workers' Party also won. Mr Chiam See Tong also won... an increased percentage in Potong Pasir.'
Responding to questions in Marine Parade GRC on Sunday morning, the SM said although Singaporeans are attracted to the upgrading promises, they are 'wise'.
'They know that upgrading will come sooner or later and between upgrading and loyalty for somebody who has put in good work - 15 years in Hougang and 22 years in Potong Pasir - they backed the incumbent.'
He feels this is a very good characteristic of Singaporeans. 'Better that than for them to be chasing after every goodie which we offer them, anybody who offers them,' he quipped.
Although the SM threw his weight behind PAP Potong Pasir candidate Sitoh Yih Pin and was disappointed for him when he failed to wrest the ward from Mr Chiam, the SM also felt 'a little sorry' for Mr Chiam because 'he has put in 22 years of hard work and I was worried if he had to go out defeated, it would be very bad for him.'
On Mr Chiam's win, Mr Goh said: 'I'm happy for him in a personal way, because I know, having served here for some 20 years, if in one of my elections I were defeated, I think it would be terrible.'
Upbeat about Hougang, he let on that he and PAP candidate Eric Low could feel the warmth of the people in the ward. Having won over many people there was itself a win, he had told Mr Low before Polling Day,.
Despite the defeat in the two wards, the PAP will work hard to win them back, he said.
He felt that Singaporeans have given PM Lee a clear vote of confidence in this election.
'...I started with only 61 per cent! And then my second election I had 65,' Mr Goh said. 'So this is the first election for Prime Minister Lee. To receive 66.6 per cent is overwhelming. So it's very very good result.'
Echoing the Prime Minister, Mr Goh called on Singaporeans to unite to face the challenges ahead, now that the election is over.
'We fought over certain issues, it was heated during the campaign... Now that it is over, it is important to recognise that we are all Singaporeans.
'Let's unite, let's face the more serious challenges ahead of us. If we can succeed in doing that in every election we fight, where people will take sides as they should, then after that we re-unite and we move forward, then Singapore will be very strong to face any challenges which we may encounter.
http://www.straitstimes.com/sub/latest/story/0,5562,391418,00.html?
May 7, 2006
Election results strong mandate for PAP: MM
MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew agrees with the Prime Minister that 66.6 per cent of the popular vote for the People's Action Party (PAP) is a strong mandate.
Comparing the result to First World standards, where winners usually take just 51 or 52 per cent, Mr Lee said that the PAP score is 'not bad'.
'It's a strong mandate, considering how strongly the people wanted an opposition, some young people, and how strongly many journalists rooted for the opposition. It's not bad,' he told reporters on Sunday at a press conference before his victory parade at Tanjong Pagar GRC, which was not contested.
The ruling party was returned to government on early Sunday morning, sweeping 82 of the 84 seats.
PM Lee Hsien Loong, who was contesting the polls for the first time as premier, had declared that the result is a strong mandate for his team.
MM Lee also cautioned against premature projections of the opposition performance in the next election.
Despite the improved performance of the opposition in this election, he said it is too early to talk about the next polls.
'Five years is a long time in politics, the world is going to change,' he said. 'Singapore is not going to stand still, we may get better, we may get worse.'
Mr Lee also said that the strong mandate for the PAP bodes well for Singapore's reputation in the eyes of foreign investors.
'I would say internationally, your big investors like ExxonMobil, Shell, the big pharmaceutical companies will say, this looks a stable place with a government that's going to last some time, and a rational government with policies which will be business-friendly and make sure that their enterprises will flourish and you will have jobs. That's my assessment,' he said.
2. The PAP's old methods of hijacking issues through the media, lawsuits and character assasination do not work anymore. It swings neutral and undecided voters against them.
3. When the two old Grandpas bring out their sledgehammers against the opposition candidates without any proper basis for their arguments, it turns voters against them. Say goodbye to idol worship. I believe GCT is highly embarrassed that his presence in Hougang and Potong Pasir and his carrot-dangling trick resulted in a larger opposition margin. LKY also swung voters away from the PAP when he made fun of Low Thia Khiang's poor command of English. Arrogance does not go down well with Singaporean voters. What this means is that the PAP campaign is on the whole much better off in the future without the two Grandpas shooting their big mouths off.
4. The PAP camp is not one, united front as a casual reading of the Straight Times might suggest. Today, George Yeo (who beat WP in Aljunied by only 7%) let on that the PAP might have captured a larger share of the votes if not for the Jamez Gomez saga. Total silence from LKY and GCT in today's papers. No word from Wong Kan Seng similarly. (If I am wrong, someone correct me?) When WKS took on the James Gomez issue, I believe George Yeo was pretty silent? Lessons? Too many cooks spoil the broth! Also, strategies that benefit the PAP as a whole might not benefit it in a particular constituency.
***UPDATE:
http://www.straitstimes.com/sub/latest/story/0,5562,391401,00.html?
May 7, 2006
'Singaporeans won big in GE': SM Goh
THERE are only winners in this election, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said, describing it as a 'beautiful GE' where 'Singaporeans won big'.
"There are only winners in this election," - Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong (in the foreground). -- Alphonso Chan
'The PAP set out to have a strong mandate for the Prime Minister, and Prime Minister Lee won a resounding victory. PAP also set out to self-renew its membership in Parliament. All the 24 new candidates have been returned.
'And the opposition also won. The Workers' Party did very well. It fielded candidates of higher quality, and so the Workers' Party won Hougang with an increased majority. So Workers' Party also won. Mr Chiam See Tong also won... an increased percentage in Potong Pasir.'
Responding to questions in Marine Parade GRC on Sunday morning, the SM said although Singaporeans are attracted to the upgrading promises, they are 'wise'.
'They know that upgrading will come sooner or later and between upgrading and loyalty for somebody who has put in good work - 15 years in Hougang and 22 years in Potong Pasir - they backed the incumbent.'
He feels this is a very good characteristic of Singaporeans. 'Better that than for them to be chasing after every goodie which we offer them, anybody who offers them,' he quipped.
Although the SM threw his weight behind PAP Potong Pasir candidate Sitoh Yih Pin and was disappointed for him when he failed to wrest the ward from Mr Chiam, the SM also felt 'a little sorry' for Mr Chiam because 'he has put in 22 years of hard work and I was worried if he had to go out defeated, it would be very bad for him.'
On Mr Chiam's win, Mr Goh said: 'I'm happy for him in a personal way, because I know, having served here for some 20 years, if in one of my elections I were defeated, I think it would be terrible.'
Upbeat about Hougang, he let on that he and PAP candidate Eric Low could feel the warmth of the people in the ward. Having won over many people there was itself a win, he had told Mr Low before Polling Day,.
Despite the defeat in the two wards, the PAP will work hard to win them back, he said.
He felt that Singaporeans have given PM Lee a clear vote of confidence in this election.
'...I started with only 61 per cent! And then my second election I had 65,' Mr Goh said. 'So this is the first election for Prime Minister Lee. To receive 66.6 per cent is overwhelming. So it's very very good result.'
Echoing the Prime Minister, Mr Goh called on Singaporeans to unite to face the challenges ahead, now that the election is over.
'We fought over certain issues, it was heated during the campaign... Now that it is over, it is important to recognise that we are all Singaporeans.
'Let's unite, let's face the more serious challenges ahead of us. If we can succeed in doing that in every election we fight, where people will take sides as they should, then after that we re-unite and we move forward, then Singapore will be very strong to face any challenges which we may encounter.
http://www.straitstimes.com/sub/latest/story/0,5562,391418,00.html?
May 7, 2006
Election results strong mandate for PAP: MM
MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew agrees with the Prime Minister that 66.6 per cent of the popular vote for the People's Action Party (PAP) is a strong mandate.
Comparing the result to First World standards, where winners usually take just 51 or 52 per cent, Mr Lee said that the PAP score is 'not bad'.
'It's a strong mandate, considering how strongly the people wanted an opposition, some young people, and how strongly many journalists rooted for the opposition. It's not bad,' he told reporters on Sunday at a press conference before his victory parade at Tanjong Pagar GRC, which was not contested.
The ruling party was returned to government on early Sunday morning, sweeping 82 of the 84 seats.
PM Lee Hsien Loong, who was contesting the polls for the first time as premier, had declared that the result is a strong mandate for his team.
MM Lee also cautioned against premature projections of the opposition performance in the next election.
Despite the improved performance of the opposition in this election, he said it is too early to talk about the next polls.
'Five years is a long time in politics, the world is going to change,' he said. 'Singapore is not going to stand still, we may get better, we may get worse.'
Mr Lee also said that the strong mandate for the PAP bodes well for Singapore's reputation in the eyes of foreign investors.
'I would say internationally, your big investors like ExxonMobil, Shell, the big pharmaceutical companies will say, this looks a stable place with a government that's going to last some time, and a rational government with policies which will be business-friendly and make sure that their enterprises will flourish and you will have jobs. That's my assessment,' he said.