<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Opposition parties exploring merger
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Alliance breakaway NSP sets ball rolling but PKMS said to be not keen </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Sue-Ann Chia
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IN, OUT - and in again?
The National Solidarity Party (NSP), which broke away from the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) last year, has plans to rejoin the grouping of opposition parties.
However, it intends to do so in another form. The idea, which is still at a preliminary stage, is to merge with Mr Chiam See Tong's Singapore People's Party (SPP), already a member of the alliance.
Veteran MP Chiam is also chairman of the alliance, an umbrella grouping of three opposition parties: SPP, Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS) and Singapore Justice Party.
Both the NSP and SPP confirmed there have been informal talks on merger. But both sides also made clear it was 'too premature' to disclose further details.
When contacted, SPP's assistant secretary-general Desmond Lim would only say: 'The idea came from the NSP, and SPP is still studying the proposal.'
NSP's president Sebastian Teo said the idea surfaced during 'informal chit-chats' with SPP members about one to two months ago. 'There is still no progress,' he told The Straits Times.
Sources close to the parties indicate that the plan is to dissolve the SPP and NSP, and change the SDA structure. It means SDA member parties will merge into one party - an idea floated before.
Then, as now, the obstacle is the same. It is understood that PKMS does not agree to this plan, as it has assets and properties and would prefer to remain a separate political party and for the SDA to remain an alliance.
Another option is for the SPP and NSP to merge and call itself a different name, and leave the SDA structure intact.
The NSP was part of the SDA, which was set up in 2001 for opposition parties to contest the General Election as a united force. In the 2006 polls, the NSP fielded 12 out of the 20 SDA candidates.
But it quit the SDA in January last year, with Mr Teo saying then that the NSP wanted 'more space to develop' and 'stand on our own feet'.
Since then, NSP members have gone on weekly walkabouts and attracted at least 10 new members, including crossovers from other opposition parties.
Among them are Mr Goh Meng Seng from the Workers' Party and Mr Christopher Neo, who rejoined the NSP after quitting the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).
Despite the fledgling signs of growth, Mr Teo felt a merger would produce 'a stronger party, and have greater synergy within the opposition'.
Meanwhile, the NSP has strengthened its leadership base, with four new faces elected to its central executive council.
It includes former MP Cheo Chai Chen, who was with the SDP. He is a council member. But NSP also lost two leaders: secretary-general Law Sin Ling and assistant treasurer Tan Lead Shake.
New NSP secretary-general Ken Sunn said Mr Law wanted to take a backseat for now, while Mr Tan had to deal with 'family problems'. Mr Tan's family was in the news recently after his wife allegedly murdered his brother. [email protected]
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Alliance breakaway NSP sets ball rolling but PKMS said to be not keen </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Sue-Ann Chia
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IN, OUT - and in again?
The National Solidarity Party (NSP), which broke away from the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) last year, has plans to rejoin the grouping of opposition parties.
However, it intends to do so in another form. The idea, which is still at a preliminary stage, is to merge with Mr Chiam See Tong's Singapore People's Party (SPP), already a member of the alliance.
Veteran MP Chiam is also chairman of the alliance, an umbrella grouping of three opposition parties: SPP, Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS) and Singapore Justice Party.
Both the NSP and SPP confirmed there have been informal talks on merger. But both sides also made clear it was 'too premature' to disclose further details.
When contacted, SPP's assistant secretary-general Desmond Lim would only say: 'The idea came from the NSP, and SPP is still studying the proposal.'
NSP's president Sebastian Teo said the idea surfaced during 'informal chit-chats' with SPP members about one to two months ago. 'There is still no progress,' he told The Straits Times.
Sources close to the parties indicate that the plan is to dissolve the SPP and NSP, and change the SDA structure. It means SDA member parties will merge into one party - an idea floated before.
Then, as now, the obstacle is the same. It is understood that PKMS does not agree to this plan, as it has assets and properties and would prefer to remain a separate political party and for the SDA to remain an alliance.
Another option is for the SPP and NSP to merge and call itself a different name, and leave the SDA structure intact.
The NSP was part of the SDA, which was set up in 2001 for opposition parties to contest the General Election as a united force. In the 2006 polls, the NSP fielded 12 out of the 20 SDA candidates.
But it quit the SDA in January last year, with Mr Teo saying then that the NSP wanted 'more space to develop' and 'stand on our own feet'.
Since then, NSP members have gone on weekly walkabouts and attracted at least 10 new members, including crossovers from other opposition parties.
Among them are Mr Goh Meng Seng from the Workers' Party and Mr Christopher Neo, who rejoined the NSP after quitting the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).
Despite the fledgling signs of growth, Mr Teo felt a merger would produce 'a stronger party, and have greater synergy within the opposition'.
Meanwhile, the NSP has strengthened its leadership base, with four new faces elected to its central executive council.
It includes former MP Cheo Chai Chen, who was with the SDP. He is a council member. But NSP also lost two leaders: secretary-general Law Sin Ling and assistant treasurer Tan Lead Shake.
New NSP secretary-general Ken Sunn said Mr Law wanted to take a backseat for now, while Mr Tan had to deal with 'family problems'. Mr Tan's family was in the news recently after his wife allegedly murdered his brother. [email protected]
