2011 General Election: Difference between revisions

{{DISPLAYTITLE:2011 Singapore General Election}}

: ''Main article: List of political parties in Singapore''

The Reform Party is the newest party and was created on 18 June 2008 and was then led by former Member of Parliament J.B. Jeyaretnam. He could have stood for election after he was discharged from bankruptcy and reinstated to the bar, however, Jeyaretnam died of heart failure on 30 September 2008 at the age of 82. His eldest son, Kenneth Jeyaretnam has since taken up leadership of the party and is now its secretary-general.

The [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/People's_Action_Party People's Action Party]'s secretary-general, Prime Minister [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/Lee_Hsien_Loong Lee Hsien Loong], described the results as delivering his party a "clear mandate to form the next government".<ref>{{cite news|title=81-6: Workers' Party wins Aljunied GRC; PAP vote share dips to 60.1%|last=Ibrahim|first=Zuraidah|date=8 May 2011|work=Sunday Times|page=1}}</ref> In his post-election press conference, Lee said the polls had "heightened (voters') political consciousness and awareness", and admitted that "many of them desire to see more opposition voices in Parliament to check the PAP government".<ref>{{cite news|title=Pledge to serve responsibly and humbly|date=8 May 2011|work=Sunday Times}}</ref> He described the PAP's loss of Aljunied GRC, which resulted in George Yeo being voted out of Parliament and losing his position as foreign minister, as a "heavy loss to my Cabinet and my team of MPs", but said that the party would "accept and respect the voters' decision".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ge.sg/stories/elections2/view/1081842/1/GE-We-hear-all-your-voices-says-PM-Lee|title=GE "We hear all your voices", says PM Lee – General Election 2011|last=Rajaram|first=Chitra|date=8 May 2011|publisher=Channel NewsAsia|accessdate=9 May 2011}}</ref> The country's Senior Minister, [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/Goh_Chok_Tong Goh Chok Tong], also admitted that "there is a sea change in the political landscape" after his team won [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/Marine_Parade_Group_Representation_Constituency Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency] with just 56.6 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite news|title=SM Goh: The tide was very strong|last=Chow|first=Jermyn|date=9 May 2011|work=Straits Times|page=A6}}</ref>

===Opposition parties' immediate reactions===

In a statement on its website, the [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/Singapore_Democratic_Party Singapore Democratic Party] thanked its supporters for their support, saying that it was for them that the party "(continues) to labour on in this undemocratic system with all the odds stacked against us."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4821-thank-you|title=Thank you|date=8 May 2011|publisher=Singapore Democratic Party|accessdate=9 May 2011}}</ref> Its assistant treasurer [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/Vincent_Wijeysingha Vincent Wijeysingha], who stood in [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/Holland-Bukit_Timah_Group_Representation_Constituency Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency], said that the party's positive vote swing in its contested wards of almost 13 percent from the last elections was an "indicator that things are beginning to move up for our party."<ref name="opposition reaction cna">{{cite news|url=http://www.ge.sg/stories/elections2/view/1081847/1/GE-Opposition-parties-reflect-on-postelection-results|title=Opposition parties reflect on post-election results|last=Saad|first=Imelda|date=8 May 2011|publisher=Channel NewsAsia|accessdate=9 May 2011}}</ref> In a second statement on its website, the SDP described its results as "disappointing", but promised to "build on the foundation that we have laid" for the next elections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4822-democrats-start-preparation-for-next-ge|title=Democrats start preparation for next GE|date=9 May 2011|publisher=Singapore Democratic Party|accessdate=9 May 2011}}</ref> The party's secretary-general [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/Chee_Soon_Juan Chee Soon Juan], barred from standing in the election, went on to write an opinion piece for [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Guardian the Guardian], in which he said it "would have been a miracle" had the SDP won any seats, and accused the [https://the-singapore-lgbt-encyclopaedia.fandom.com/wiki/Media_in_Singapore media in Singapore] of suppressing news of the SDP's campaigning.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/may/10/singapore-election-democracy-new-media|title=Singapore is taking the first steps to true democracy|last=Chee|first=Soon Juan|date=10 May 2011|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=13 May 2011}}</ref>