Election season may be upon Singapore yet again - the fourth time in two
years. 2011 saw the hotly-contested General Election and the “battle of the
Tans” for presidency.
In May this year a by-election
was triggered in Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC) when Yaw Shin Leong
was expelled from the Workers’ Party.
Now, Singapore could be poised
for another by-election. Michael Palmer, Member of Parliament for Punggol East
SMC and Speaker of Parliament, resigned both positions on Wednesday afternoon
after admitting to having an extra-marital affair with a member of grassroots
organisation People’s Association.
With a seat vacant in Parliament
once more, all eyes are on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to call a
by-election. The elections commission falls under the purview of the Prime
Minister’s Office. PM Lee released a press statement on Thursday, saying:
The Constitution does not require
me to call a by-election within any fixed timeframe. I will carefully consider
whether to call a by-election in Punggol East and, if so, when. I assure
Singaporeans that I will make my decision based on what is best for the constituents
of Punggol East and the country.
An earlier effort by Hougang
resident Mdm Vellama to get Singapore’s courts to rule that the Prime Minister
has to call a by-election within three months of a seat’s vacancy was
unsuccessful.
Despite the uncertainty over
whether there will be a by-election, opposition parties are already gearing up
for a contest. The Workers’ Party, who had contested the seat during the 2011
General Election, indicated that they were ready to put forward a candidate.
The Reform Party has also put out a press release saying that it will “strongly
consider” contesting the seat should there be a by-election.
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