The MacPherson single-seat ward is set for a three-cornered fight after the National Solidarity Party (NSP) yesterday reneged on an earlier promise to stay out of the constituency and allow the Workers’ Party (WP) to take on the People’s Action Party in a straight contest.
The NSP’s announcement exposed cracks not only within the Opposition ranks, but in the party as well: Its acting secretary-general Hazel Poa quit the party — only two months after she returned to her old role on an interim basis — after disagreeing with the central executive council’s (CEC) decision to support CEC member Steve Chia’s request to contest in MacPherson.
“It was a decision I strongly disagreed with and, hence, not one I can implement. As the direction that the party has decided to pursue deviates greatly from my own, I see no choice other than to resign from the NSP,” Ms Poa said in a press statement issued less than one and a half hours after the NSP made its announcement.
On Aug 10, the NSP said it would not contest in the Marine Parade and MacPherson constituencies — which were both eyed by the WP. Ms Poa had said then that the NSP was looking at the “bigger picture” and a three-cornered fight would make it less likely for an opposition party to win.
But the NSP said it changed its position on MacPherson after lengthy deliberations, to “keep faith with our supporters”. “In recent weeks, NSP leaders have been receiving feedback and pledges of support from many residents in Marine Parade and MacPherson,” the party said, noting it had received about 43 per cent of the votes when it contested in Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the 2011 General Election (GE). MacPherson has been carved out from Marine Parade GRC for the coming polls, following changes to the electoral boundaries.
The NSP said: “We have decided to give up contesting in Marine Parade on the merit that Joo Chiat has previously been contested by the WP. As for MacPherson, the CEC strongly supports the decision to proceed with contesting in the SMC where considerable outreach has been done before the 2011 GE.” The party said this decision is “final”. “(It) reflects our view that maintaining opposition unity requires mutual respect and a spirit of compromise on the part of all parties,” it added.
The party reiterated that it had reached out to WP after talks to resolve conflicting election plans among opposition parties failed to yield a compromise between the WP and NSP over Marine Parade GRC and MacPherson. The WP, which did not attend the second round of talks, also did not respond to the NSP’s subsequent attempts to open discussions.
Opposition watcher Wong Wee Nam, who contested in the 1997 GE on the NSP ticket, said the NSP was “destroying itself”. “First of all, you never keep your promise, then your acting secretary-general has resigned because of that,” he said.
He felt that the NSP’s move would backfire, even in other constituencies where the party is contesting. “It just shows that they don’t keep their word … People won’t trust the party anymore,” he said.
Associate Professor Alan Chong from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies noted that there is a rational explanation for the NSP’s U-turn. “You don’t give up what you cultivated on the ground in 2011,” he said. As to the impact of the NSP’s move, Assoc Prof Chong felt that while some voters could lose trust in the NSP, others in MacPherson might actually be really grateful that the NSP has not forgotten them.
In June 2011, Ms Poa was first appointed NSP secretary-general, becoming the first female secretary-general of a political party here. About two years later, she resigned because of health reasons. In June, she reprised her old role on an interim basis after Mr Tan Lam Siong resigned as secretary-general after only five months in the post. Ms Poa’s departure means the NSP would be looking for its fifth secretary-general since the 2011 GE.
Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said the resignation of Ms Poa would weaken the party’s “A” team slate for Tampines GRC. “The leadership musical chairs continues. This points to the party being in a state of flux … They urgently need to be cohesive and with clear directions going forward or their campaign is going to be ineffective,” he said.
While Assoc Prof Chong said Ms Poa might end up with the WP or the Singapore Democratic Party, Ms Poa made clear in her statement that she would not be contesting in the coming GE.
Wishing the NSP well, she reiterated that the leader of NSP is its president Sebastian Teo. She added that she respected the right of the CEC as the decision-making body of the party. “I apologise to all whom I have disappointed. My own disappointment is no less. For me, the coming months will be a time for reflection,” she said.
Mr Teo told TODAY that he was also of the initial opinion that the NSP should not contest in MacPherson: “Personally, I think to avoid three-cornered fights should be the way, but we got to respect the majority.”
Source: www.todayonline.com
