PM Lee "considering seriously" whether to call by-election
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By S Ramesh | Posted: 21 December 2012 2000 hrs
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says he is considering seriously if a by-election should be held for the Punggol East single-member constituency, and if so, when to hold one.
The parliamentary seat in Punggol East fell vacant following the resignation of the MP for the area Michael Palmer.
Mr Lee was replying to questions from the Singapore media at the end of his visit to India on Friday.
Mr Lee said that if he decides to hold a by-election, then it is within the rights of any of the opposition parties to contest, and it is also up to the voters who they decide to support.
People's Action Party (PAP) will field the best possible candidate and work its utmost to win and retain voters' support in Punggol East, added Mr Lee.
The prime minister said he was very surprised and saddened by what had happened in the case of Mr Palmer.
Mr Lee said that it was quite clear that once the PAP understood what had happened, Mr Palmer had to resign.
- CNA/ir -
PM Lee still mulling over by-election
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong continued to keep his cards close to his chest on whether there will be a by-election in Punggol East.
Speaking to Singapore reporters in New Delhi, he acknowledged that there were expectations for one to be held in the seat, but said he had not decided whether to hold one and if so, when it would take place.
He noted that whenever a vacancy came up and there was "no special reason" not to have a by-election, there would be expectations for one. We will consider this, he said.
The Punggol East seat was vacated last week after People's Action Party MP Michael Palmer, who was also Speaker of Parliament, resigned over an extramarital affair.
In the wake of his exit, Mr Lee had issued a statement saying he would "carefully consider whether to call a by-election in Punggol East and, if so, when."
He added then that there were several items on the national agenda, including the Singapore Conversation, the White Paper on Population and the 2013 budget - fuelling speculation that the earliest a by-election could be held would be in the second quarter of next year.
A brief history of by-elections:
By-elections have been held in 31 constituencies since self-governance in 1959. Of these, the PAP lost three times: Hong Lim in 1961 and Anson in 1961 and 1981.
1960s
From 1959 to Independence in 1965, by-elections were nail-biting fights which saw the People's Action Party (PAP) tussle with other parties to hang on to its dominance in Parliament.
In April 1961, former national development minister Ong Eng Guan ran as an independent in Hong Lim after being expelled from the PAP. He won handsomely against the PAP's Jek Yeun Thong. Three months later, the Workers' Party's (WP) David Marshall won Anson in a by-election following the death of a PAP assemblyman.
In 1961, the PAP expelled 13 members who went on to form Barisan Sosialis. A year later, labour minister Ahmad Ibrahim died, vacating his Sembawang seat. The PAP was left with 25 seats against 25 opposition assemblymen. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew did not call a by-election in Sembawang. Instead, he called a general election one year later when the PAP regained its majority.
In June 1965, Mr Ong quit politics, paving the way for a by-election in Hong Lim. That by-election took on national significance in the wake of communal riots the year before. The PAP's victory over Barisan was seen as a mark of the people's support for the party.
After separation, Mr Lee moved a motion to revoke a clause in the Constitution which set a three-month deadline for by-elections to be called.
1970s
The 1970s marked the start of a "safe era" for the PAP. Against a backdrop of rapid economic growth, the PAP called several by-elections to swiftly inject talented new blood into its ranks.
In 1970, 1977 and 1979, by-elections were called in 14 seats after older MPs fell ill or resigned. Several Cabinet heavyweights entered Parliament through by-elections, including Dr Tony Tan, Mr Howe Yoon Chong, Mr Teh Cheang Wan and Mr Lim Chee Onn.
1980s
Circumstances changed after the PAP lost the Anson by-election in 1981. That election was called less than 24 hours after Anson MP Devan Nair resigned from the PAP in anticipation of becoming President.
In a shock defeat, the PAP's Pang Kim Hin lost to WP chief J.B. Jeyaretnam. Mr Lee later recounted in his memoirs that he had left the Anson campaign to then Minister for Trade and Industry Goh Chok Tong and other younger leaders.
"I was disturbed, not by the defeat, but because I had no signal from Goh that we might lose," Mr Lee wrote in his memoirs.
There were no by-elections for the rest of the decade, even when three single-member constituencies were vacated.
These were when Havelock MP Hon Sui Sen died in 1983, and when Mr Jeyaretnam was disqualified from Parliament and Mr Teh Cheang Wan committed suicide, both in 1986.
1990s
All vacated seats since 1990 have been in group representation constituencies (GRCs), a system introduced in 1988.
The Government's position is that when a GRC seat falls vacant, other MPs in the GRC can help to look after affected constituents.
That was the case on five occasions when GRC seats were vacated in 1993, 1999, 2008 and 2010.
In 1992, however, then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong called a by-election in his Marine Parade GRC to induct Rear-Admiral Teo Chee Hean into politics.
At the time, both deputy prime ministers had cancer and there was an acute need for new leaders.
2000s
The Hougang by-election in 2012 marked the first time in 31 years that a by-election was held in a single-member constituency, and the first time since Independence that a by-election was called in an opposition ward. PM Lee declared his intention to call a by-election a few weeks after the Hougang seat was vacated. The by-election ultimately took place some three months later.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20121221-391064.html
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knn, consider harder and faster!
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Cheaper, Better, Faster.
Most Expensive, Worse, Slowest.
He just lost one battle this year.
He need to put more carrot to the PE residents to win the election.
The headache he have now is to get the replacement candidate.
Another Military Man ???
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We will just wait and see...
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阿斗就是阿斗, æ— å�¯æ•‘è�¯
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me ikan bilis soldier in the amry also reservist time can make swifty fast decision.
dont use the word 'considering', presents somany douts.
either just tell the press its in progress, or the decision is not make yet, what considering?
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
Cheaper, Better, Faster.
Most Expensive, Worse, Slowest.
He just lost one battle this year.
He need to put more carrot to the PE residents to win the election.
The headache he have now is to get the replacement candidate.
Another Military Man ???
got stars 1 leh.
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So much stress.
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Originally posted by troublemaker2005:
me ikan bilis soldier in the amry also reservist time can make swifty fast decision.
dont use the word 'considering', presents somany douts.
either just tell the press its in progress, or the decision is not make yet, what considering?
by now you should know ..... this one like c bor ...... guniang syndrome.
even some women more man than him. what a shame......
sia suay if foreigners ask who our PM is, tell them it is this one really sia suay. cmi!!! this one CMI all the way through from day 1
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Originally posted by the Bear:
knn, consider harder and faster!
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must be damn difficult to find a candidate who has a "clean" record
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Originally posted by GHoST_18:
must be damn difficult to find a candidate who has a "clean" record
probably cannot find
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When it come to their salary, it was fast and swift.
When it come to people issues, it was wait and see.
Maybe he is too busy with his FB and planning of oversea conference that he will attending for 2013.
More conference with Yingluck standing on his left.
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useless ............................. those voted for it their eyes must have been "pasted with stamps"
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Seriously, I agree that the bye-election can wait. There are even more serious matters that await answers even more than the "NatCON". Matters such as why was the programs paid by the 14 town councils sold to a $2 company. Why was a tender not call before being sold. How much was it sold for. How much did the town councils paid for the accounting program. Why much did the pay to lease it back. These are the genuinely more impt matters to attend to.
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Originally posted by SJS6638:
useless ............................. those voted for it their eyes must have been "pasted with stamps"
kelong votes from looks of it. -
Originally posted by SevenEleven:
Seriously, I agree that the bye-election can wait. There are even more serious matters that await answers even more than the “NatCON”.
Matters such as why was the programs paid by the 14 town councils sold to a $2 company. Why was a tender not call before being sold. How much was it sold for. How much did the town councils paid for the accounting program. Why much did the pay to lease it back.These are the genuinely more impt matters to attend to.
most importantly, why hasn't CPIB investigated this
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this one only cares it keeps getting mandate to continue to stay in power to suck us dry, suck money, provide more foreigners to create more difficulties for us.
By election is secondary, it does not $ or make much money out of it.
It would have been ousted in other countries where the voters are united. Here iin sg, those majority who voted for it are full of shit, shallow idiots .................... they care not the future, well being of the nation.
char going to post,,,,,, so much angst.................. It is reasonable and justified people have so much angst afterall we are constantly "made to suffer" under them , under this one, the ah dou.
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Originally posted by SJS6638:
this one only cares it keeps getting mandate to continue to stay in power to suck us dry, suck money, provide more foreigners to create more difficulties for us.
By election is secondary, it does not $ or make much money out of it.
It would have been ousted in other countries where the voters are united. Here iin sg, those majority who voted for it are full of shit, shallow idiots .................... they care not the future, well being of the nation.
char going to post,,,,,, so much angst.................. It is reasonable and justified people have so much angst afterall we are constantly "made to suffer" under them , under this one, the ah dou.
think spore will be in turmoil when nobody can get decent priced good n cheap food.military ruled burma was toppled by weakling burmese over short of fuel etc etc.
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Originally posted by the Bear:
most importantly, why hasn't CPIB investigated this
they have their limited powers also. take the makan money pastor KK case? poepl make use of foreign policies and escape hide. what can they do? not to mention its ah pek clan we tokin about here -
Originally posted by the Bear:
most importantly, why hasn't CPIB investigated this
Who is the CPIB?
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Originally posted by GHoST_18:
must be damn difficult to find a candidate who has a "clean" record
Probably have to fill in questionaire now before campaigning.
"have you ever ...?
"Are you now ...?
"Will you ever ...?
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"Consider seriously" means to tell all you peasants that he will ultimately call the by-election. However, he must demonstrate that he does have the discretion to call for this, so he shall consider seriously first. End of the day, who's PM?
Sounds like your boss?
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boss also like that.. strike only the "bosses" also gwai gwai toe the line