But the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party vowed to press on with his effort to have the damages hearing reconvened so he can challenge former prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong.

Chee has already lost the defamation suit over comments he made in the 2001 election campaign but is seeking to reconvene the hearing to assess damages. He missed the hearing in early September because he was abroad.

Lawyers have said Chee will likely have to pay Lee and Goh -- who remain influential members of the cabinet -- at least US$500,000 in damages.

Chee appeared at the Supreme Court's registry on Wednesday to submit documents supporting his move but the registrar refused to accept them because Chee only had one set. Court procedures require Chee to submit two sets and pay separate fees for each.

"I'm still trying to figure out what's the situation," Chee told AFP. "I have to check with lawyers how I should go about this, but it's not over. I will press to get this affidavit in."

Chee, a US-trained psychologist, has consistently pushed for greater political freedoms in Singapore and been a high-profile thorn in the side of the People's Action Party despite his party having no members of parliament.

But in their written argument, lawyers for Lee and Goh accused Chee of deliberately staying away from the September hearing and of using his move to reconvene the session as a means to "garner maximum publicity for his crusade."

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