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[TD="class: msgtxt"][h=2]PM Lee: No fixed time to call a by-election[/h]
February 16th, 2012
Responding to media queries over the Workers’ Party’s expulsion of Yaw Shin Leong, the opposition MP for Hougang, PM Lee Hsien Loong said there is no fixed time within which he must call a by-election.
PM Lee noted that Singapore just had a General Election less than a year ago.
He said, “Now, the Hougang SMC is vacant, as a result of what Mr Yaw Shin Leong has done, and the way the WP has handled the matter”.
“The WP has let down the voters of Hougang”.
PM Lee said that he will consider the by-election matter carefully but his priorities now are the many issues on the national agenda.
Meanwhile, with regard to how PAP would approach Hougang’s by-election, in a different interview, Minister Khaw said that PAP has never forsaken Hougang’s voters. He said PAP will do whatever it can to win back Hougang. He declined to say if the previous PAP candidate for Hougang, Desmond Choo will be fielded again.
The last time Singaporeans had a by-election was in 1992. It was a four-cornered fight, with the SJP, SDP, NSP and PAP. At the time, Goh Chok Tong was the PM. The then PM Goh called for a by-election in Marine Parade GRC, one of the strongest PAP’s constituency with 77% win in the 1991 GE.
Mr Goh called for the by-election partly to introduce Teo Chee Hean as new blood to replace the outgoing Lim Chee Onn in the Marine Parade GRC. The other reason was Mr Goh wanted to keep his promise of allowing the then WP’s chief J B Jeyaretnam to contest in an election upon the latter’s ten-year ban, ending just after the 1991 GE. Jeyaretnam had earlier accused the PAP of calling a snap election in 1991 because it was afraid of him.
However, WP did not take part in the by-election due to multiple corner fights within the opposition camp. Also, contesting in the by-election was Dr Chee Soon Juan, debuting the first time in an election. Despite the disunity in the opposition camp, Goh’s team garnered a lower result of 73% for PAP in the by-election compared to the 77% they had in 1991 GE.
The Parliamentary Election Act states that where there is a vacancy, the Prime Minister would have to advise the President to issue a writ for election. The law, however, is silent on how soon the by-election has to be called.
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[TD="class: msgtxt"][h=2]PM Lee: No fixed time to call a by-election[/h]
PM Lee noted that Singapore just had a General Election less than a year ago.
He said, “Now, the Hougang SMC is vacant, as a result of what Mr Yaw Shin Leong has done, and the way the WP has handled the matter”.
“The WP has let down the voters of Hougang”.
PM Lee said that he will consider the by-election matter carefully but his priorities now are the many issues on the national agenda.
Meanwhile, with regard to how PAP would approach Hougang’s by-election, in a different interview, Minister Khaw said that PAP has never forsaken Hougang’s voters. He said PAP will do whatever it can to win back Hougang. He declined to say if the previous PAP candidate for Hougang, Desmond Choo will be fielded again.
The last time Singaporeans had a by-election was in 1992. It was a four-cornered fight, with the SJP, SDP, NSP and PAP. At the time, Goh Chok Tong was the PM. The then PM Goh called for a by-election in Marine Parade GRC, one of the strongest PAP’s constituency with 77% win in the 1991 GE.
Mr Goh called for the by-election partly to introduce Teo Chee Hean as new blood to replace the outgoing Lim Chee Onn in the Marine Parade GRC. The other reason was Mr Goh wanted to keep his promise of allowing the then WP’s chief J B Jeyaretnam to contest in an election upon the latter’s ten-year ban, ending just after the 1991 GE. Jeyaretnam had earlier accused the PAP of calling a snap election in 1991 because it was afraid of him.
However, WP did not take part in the by-election due to multiple corner fights within the opposition camp. Also, contesting in the by-election was Dr Chee Soon Juan, debuting the first time in an election. Despite the disunity in the opposition camp, Goh’s team garnered a lower result of 73% for PAP in the by-election compared to the 77% they had in 1991 GE.
The Parliamentary Election Act states that where there is a vacancy, the Prime Minister would have to advise the President to issue a writ for election. The law, however, is silent on how soon the by-election has to be called.
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