Saturday, May 06, 2006

SINGAPORE ELECTIONS: MIXED MESSAGES

The PAP is back in power and Mr Lee Hsien Loong has won his mandate, but victory has come at a cost to his political capital. Unfortunately, the PAP seems to know only one way to fight elections. That unchanged style is at odds with its approach outside of elections, which is increasingly about inclusiveness and respect for diversity. In fact, it may be precisely because Singaporeans bought into the new PM’s new vision that they found it hard to swallow the PAP’s old-style election rhetoric. Notably, its upgrading-for-votes gambit was not just unpalatable but also ultimately ineffective – a lose-lose proposition. Mr Lee had built up a tremendous stock of goodwill since he became PM, but the PAP drew down on those reserves in a campaign that was unnecessarily divisive. As the party of national unity, the PAP must now put the polls behind it and get back on message.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

LKY must retire, and soon, otherwise LHL will 'die' a natural political death in the long term. The youths will not put up with the LKY politics of the past!

Anonymous said...

Chronoligical event for 9-day before election:

1-4th day, sue and sue to demoralise opposition.

3-5th day, call liar at their wish but walk-into trap of WP! Not time to derail WP manifesto! Caught unable to sue but say liar!

4-6th day, walk into trap by offer >$100m for upgrading of HDB! Opposition sap ruling party time so that real issues nor manifesto cannot be exposed! Likewise moving staying together "U scrap by back, I scratch" wishwashy NKF saga, inadequate casino and hosy of medical cost swept uner carpet!

7-9 days, Singaporeans are suckers of issusing a blank cheque to hang ourselves!

7-8 said...

When you talk about inclusiveness and respect for diversity, what does that mean? Does it mean exclusively outside of the context of politics, ie male or female, young or old, Chinese Malay Indian Others, gay or straight, just as long as you are not an opposition party member?

Are his motives to win votes for the PAP? ie there is a trade-off, I give you freedom, and you vote me in. Everybody has more liberty, but solely within the context of PAP domination (in the political sense)?

And if so, is this position contradictory or tenable?

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