WP Youth Wing Public Forum

Elections and Your Vote: A Token or Taken Right?

Public Forum organised by The WP Youth Wing
The third Presidential elections has come and gone in a flash. Two out of three Presidential elections in Singapore's history have ended with no votes cast. The nation's Elected President, Mr S R Nathan, had been officially elected without ever facing a contest throughout his tenure.

No emergence of contenders? This Presidential elections saw four applications but only one ruled qualified to be awarded a special certificate to stand as a candidate by three elite men appointed by the government, who had in the process decided the President for three million Singaporeans.

The upcoming General Election is due by 2007. Things are a little different in General Elections; there are no pre-approved barriers. However, again, not all Singaporeans will get to vote, for it is widely known that few Singaporeans are willing to be associated with opposition parties, much less become their candidates.

Default victories in uncontested constituencies, popularly know as "walkovers", have became a definite sight in General Elections in the last three decades. At the last General Election in 2001, only one-third of Parliamentary seats were contested. Opposition politics in Singapore is a "thankless job", and who do Singaporeans have to thank for?

The situation we have is uniquely Singapore. Is this uniqueness churned from the long years of "autocratic measures of the PAP regime" or because Singaporeans have been "cowed by their own free will"?

In short, elections in Singapore are fast becoming signs of going through motions. Is this trend unhealthy but tolerable, or unhealthy and intolerable? Is the Elected Presidency criteria too high (and mightly executed)? Is the Elected Presidency scheme even necessary in the first place? Are walkovers becoming an irritating bugbear? What can Singaporeans do, that is, if they want something done?

Organised by The WP Youth Wing - the official youth wing of The Workers' Party - this public forum discusses elections in Singapore and implications of the current situation, and examines the question of whether it is the authority that has to "open up" first or Singaporeans themselves have to begin taking charge of their own political affairs for it to progress.

Date: 15 October 2005 (Saturday)

Time: 2.30 pm

Venue: Workers' Party HQ, 216-G Syed Alwi Road #02-03 Singapore 207799

Facilitator & Moderator:- Mr Tan Wui-Hua, President of The WP Youth Wing

Speakers:- Ms Sylvia Lim, Chairman of The Workers' Party- Ms Glenda Han, Deputy Secretary of The WP Youth Wing

Guest Speakers:- Dr Kevin Tan, constitutional law specialist- Mr Michael Cheng, youth social activist

You are most welcomed to join us!

For more information, please call us at 6298-4765 or e-mail us at youthwing@wp.org.sg.
Tan Wui-HuaPresidentThe WP Youth Wing216-G Syed Alwi Road #02-03 Singapore 207799Tel: 6298-4765Fax: 6454-4404URL: www.wp.org.sg/youthwingE-mail: youthwing@wp.org.sg