James Gomez
This general election is significant for Singapore because just like in the Middle East where the people are holding their authoritarian regimes accountable, we are also going to see a revolution this elections.
Why? Because our people have been oppressed and denied their rights for over 50 years by the PAP. We are banned from organising, assembling and protesting peacefully in public against its bad policies, and the media is completely in the hands of the ruling clique.
In the last years opposition parties, civil society groups and individuals in Singapore have been organising themselves through the internet to effect change and spur our own revolution.
Come this election, ours will be an Electoral Revolution.
As a first step towards this, all indications are that the PAP will be prevented from forming the government on nomination day.
Next, inter-opposition party negotiations have confirmed that a majority of the seats will be contested.
And with the mood of the people against the policies of the PAP, the Singaporean electoral revolution is poised to return opposition parties and their candidates to parliament.
Only the current design of the electoral system, the PAP’s negative campaigning and threats against selected parties and candidates aided by a compliant local media stand in the way of translating the will of the people into electoral success for the opposition candidates.
But if we take a leaf from the Middle East experience, the SDP is confident Singaporeans will fight back by taking to the Internet to spur the people on and ultimately cast their vote against the PAP during the polls.
When this happens, we will be able to hold the PAP in the next parliament to account for the policies that are hurting Singaporeans. We will also work to introduce new policies that will help Singapoeans.
Whatever the outcome of this elections, either in or outside Parliament, the Singapore Democrats are prepared to stand up and speak up for Singaporeans.
People in the Middle East have found their voices and led a revolution. The SDP is confident here in Singapore we are on the fringes of an Electoral Revolution.
Dr James Gomez contested in the 2006 GE. He joined the SDP in 2010. He is also the Deputy Associate Dean (International) of the Arts Faculty at Monash University.