| Channel News
Asia March 11, 2006 SINGAPORE IT looks like the opposition has answered the PAP's call to contest as many seats as possible in the next General Election. Based on a plan the opposition parties had worked out on Friday, Mar 10, the PAP may not be returned to power on Nomination Day. The opposition has decided to contest about 57 seats out of 84 parliamentary seats. These will be all nine Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and nine Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). The nine single member wards are Bukit Panjang, Chua Chu Kang, Hougang, Joo Chiat, MacPherson, Nee Soon East, Nee Soon Central, Potong Pasir and Yio Chu Kang. The Singapore Democratic Party's chairman Ling How Doong will most likely stand in Bukit Panjang, while the SDP is also planning to field a candidate in Nee Soon Central. The Singapore Democratic Alliance plans to contest four SMCs, namely Chua Chu Kang, Potong Pasir, Yio Chu Kang and MacPherson. Both the SDA and the Democratic Progressive Party have indicated their interests in contesting MacPherson, but they hope to resolve this soon to avoid a three-cornered fight there. The Workers' Party is targeting Hougang, Joo Chiat and Nee Soon East. And the nine GRCs that the various opposition parties are eyeing include Aljunied, Ang Mo Kio, Sembawang and East Coast - all to be contested by the Workers' Party. The Singapore Democratic Party is trying to contest two GRCs - Jurong and Holland-Bukit Timah. And the Singapore Democratic Alliance is planning to field at least three teams to contest Pasir Ris-Punggol, Jalan Besar and Tampines. This means there could be a contest for at least 48 GRC seats if the opposition parties stick to their plans. But they remained tight-lipped about exactly which candidates may be standing in which constituencies. And they say that things could change in the run-up to Nomination Day. Mr Chiam See Tong, Secretary-General of Singapore Democratic Alliance, says: "This time round, I think we have got our act together. It would appear we have more than 50 percent and if that is the case, then it appears we will have no by-election effect." Ms Sylvia Lim, Chairman of Workers' Party, says: "The four GRCs
we have named, we may not go to all the four as we are still deciding which
are our priorities - that is the likely scenario." - CNA/de |
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