GE2020: SingFirst dissolved, says it is to avoid 3-corner fights
SINGAPORE — Opposition party Singaporeans First (SingFirst) has been dissolved by its central executive committee, mere days before the Nomination Day for the 10 July General Election.
In a post on its Facebook page on Thursday (25 June), secretary-general Tan Jee Say said that the decision was made to avoid three-corner fights against other opposition parties.
“Opposition unity and cooperation have always been a guiding principle of our party,” he wrote in a letter posted on the Facebook page.
“We abided by this principle to avoid three-corner fights, as seen in the 2015 General Election when we contested in Jurong and Tanjong Pagar GRCs (group representation constituencies).
“We believe a strong opposition is best achieved with consolidation. In this light, the central executive committee of Singaporeans First has decided to dissolve the party. The decision was not made lightly, but we believe that this move is in the best interests of Singapore.”
Tan, who was a presidential candidate in 2011, said that the party has already re-directed “quite a few” who wanted to join SingFirst to other opposition parties. Some ex-members are also active in different parties.
“The central executive committee of Singapore First would like to encourage our members to join other parties, those that reflect their values and belief, to help them in the General Election,” he wrote in the letter.
Formed in 2014, SingFirst contested in Jurong and Tanjong Pagar GRCs in the 2015 GE, but were trounced in both constituencies, garnering less than 23 per cent of the votes in either of the GRCs.
It had been in discussion throughout the past two years on forming an opposition coalition. However, such a coalition did not materialise for the coming GE.
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