Jeyaretnam said he had sent in his resignation on Monday and accused the party leadership of failing to help him fight a bankruptcy case which has disqualified him from standing in the elections.

At least 10 other party members resigned with Jeyaretnam, citing differences with the new leadership of party secretary general Low Thia Khiang, a re-electionist MP.

"It's painful for me... I received no help whatsoever from the party leaders," Jeyaretnam, the party's long-time head, told a news conference.

He said while he had no intention of destroying the party's chances just two weeks before the November 3 polls, he had to tell the truth.

"I've always taken the view that the electorate comes above the party. My duty is to the electorate of Singapore and not to the party," he said.

Jeyaretnam, a 76-year-old lawyer, became the first opposition politician to get elected to parliament in 1981, breaking the 16-year monopoly of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) on parliament.

He was declared bankrupt earlier this year after being one day late with an instalment under a deal to pay off 265,000 Singapore dollars in damages to ruling-party politicians who had won a defamation suit.

The bankruptcy cost him his seat in the last parliament, abolished last week, where he sat as an appointed member by virtue of the Workers' Party's performance in the 1997 general elections.

Workers' Party secretary-general Low said he was not surprised to receive Jeyaretnam's letter, adding that the latter did not state his reasons for resigning.

He said that he was "very busy" and "did not have the time" to contact his predecessor to persuade him otherwise.

But he acknowledged Jeyaretnam's contributions, saying: "No matter how I think, Jeyaretnam has made political history. He has made contributions to the party. He was the one who broke the PAP's hegemony."

Jeyaretnam vowed to remain politically active by continuing to speak out.

The grand old man of the Singapore opposition has been subject to lawsuits, fines and jail during his political career and is estimated to have paid more than S$1.6 million Singapore dollars (US$914,000) in damages and costs so far.

Jeyaretnam, a gruff but powerful public speaker, has championed greater political freedoms and human rights in the strictly governed and wealthy city-state.

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