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As stunned responses flood social media and office chatter heats up, the probable first question on your mind would be, by-elections in Hougang?
Besides it being a hoot (a by-election so soon after the last General Election), it would be priceless opportunity to put the PAP scorecard under scrutiny, it would pretty much be a great report card on their post-election (2011) performance.
When I commented that this was a brilliant strategic move by the WP, since it forces the PAP's hand, a friend had doubts that it would be a win-win for WP. They may not win a by-election. I disagreed. For these reasons:
First, the mood on the ground (from the blogosphere and online media reports) is Hougang residents don't much care about the adultery "scandal" that has been dogging YSL. It's great gossip fodder for the few who relish in the demise of others, but most people are more concerned about how their MP could and is helping them, and so far, YSL's performance as an MP hasn't been blemished.
Second, Hougang is a pro-WP ward but it was largely LTK that they have allegiance to and YSK was his proxy during the GE 2011. LTK's staunch supporters will see this sacking as a decisive move on LTK's part to remove the rot, and likely have even more "respect" for this bold move. In a possible by-election they would simply vote whomever WP pushes forth as the replacement.
Third, Hougang is a single-seat ward. No matter what, WP can parachute in a replacement easy-peasy, and my guess is they already have one in mind (hint: GG). I doubt the Elections Department can manage a redrawing of boundaries to make Hougang disappear in the next few weeks.
So, no matter what transpires from hereon, my bet is it would be a win-win for the Workers' Party.
And this shows very clearly that a few people in the WP are very, very clever indeed.
- http://thotspeak.blogspot.com/2012/02/clever-clever-wp.html
Besides it being a hoot (a by-election so soon after the last General Election), it would be priceless opportunity to put the PAP scorecard under scrutiny, it would pretty much be a great report card on their post-election (2011) performance.
When I commented that this was a brilliant strategic move by the WP, since it forces the PAP's hand, a friend had doubts that it would be a win-win for WP. They may not win a by-election. I disagreed. For these reasons:
First, the mood on the ground (from the blogosphere and online media reports) is Hougang residents don't much care about the adultery "scandal" that has been dogging YSL. It's great gossip fodder for the few who relish in the demise of others, but most people are more concerned about how their MP could and is helping them, and so far, YSL's performance as an MP hasn't been blemished.
Second, Hougang is a pro-WP ward but it was largely LTK that they have allegiance to and YSK was his proxy during the GE 2011. LTK's staunch supporters will see this sacking as a decisive move on LTK's part to remove the rot, and likely have even more "respect" for this bold move. In a possible by-election they would simply vote whomever WP pushes forth as the replacement.
Third, Hougang is a single-seat ward. No matter what, WP can parachute in a replacement easy-peasy, and my guess is they already have one in mind (hint: GG). I doubt the Elections Department can manage a redrawing of boundaries to make Hougang disappear in the next few weeks.
So, no matter what transpires from hereon, my bet is it would be a win-win for the Workers' Party.
And this shows very clearly that a few people in the WP are very, very clever indeed.
- http://thotspeak.blogspot.com/2012/02/clever-clever-wp.html
