Lee congratulates WP chief for significant opposition gains as party leaders seek to heal rifts after elections.
PM congratulates WP chief, who vows loyalty to country
AN unusual and hard-fought election, in which the opposition made significant gains, gave way to a sense of solidarity yesterday as political parties and politicians set aside their differences and promised to work for the good of Singapore.
A day after the People’s Action Party (PAP) won a clear mandate and the Workers’ Party (WP) made a historic breakthrough, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged voters’ desire for more opposition in Parliament, and congratulated the WP for its strong performance.
“I look forward to them participating in and contributing to the debate in Parliament, and to the national debate, as we deal with the urgent issues before us,” posted Lee on Facebook.
Earlier, at a pre-dawn press conference, he had announced that WP chief Pritam Singh would be formally appointed as Opposition Leader. The role is being formally filled for the first time since Singapore’s independence.
“I will endeavour to ensure that the Workers’ Party under my leadership will remain loyal to Singapore and all Singaporeans,” promised Pritam.
His party had pulled off the biggest upset of the election, winning Sengkang GRC with 52.13% of the votes. The opposition gained ground, especially in the six constituencies contested by the WP.
The PAP won 83 of 93 seats and 61.24% of the popular vote, an 8.7point swing against it from 69.9% in the 2015 polls.
Lee yesterday said the results showed broad-based support for the PAP but acknowledged that they also reflected the pain and uncertainty of Singaporeans amid the crisis. While the ruling party had campaigned on a platform of protecting lives, jobs and securing Singapore’s future amid the worldwide pandemic, its message had sometimes been overshadowed by the hype of the hustings.
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who retired as an MP and did not contest this election, described the outcome as “good for Singapore and our parliamentary democracy”.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said during a walkabout in Nee Soon GRC: “In all these things are clearly messages that voters are sending us. It will be wrong if we don’t understand the messages. It requires a lot of soul-searching and reflection.”