GRC walkovers - too many voters sidelined

April 24, 2006
The Straits Times

TRUE, under the ruling People's Action Party, post- colonial Singapore has won many accolades in the past 40 years. It is today a pristine metropolis, with a First World economy, the world's highest per capita foreign reserves, a per capita gross domestic product higher than many developed countries and a national ethos based on a policy of meritocracy.

However, critics argue that the group representation constituency (GRC) system is not based on meritocracy and walkovers in many GRCs have sidelined many voters in successive general elections, resulting in the PAP gaining a disproportionate number of seats in Parliament. This, critics say, is a travesty of the democratic process as there are few checks and balances.

The standard reply is that the walkovers show the PAP has a strong mandate and the GRC system ensures that minority-race candidates can enter Parliament.

But why are so many non-minority rookie candidates ushered in, without any true 'baptism of fire', riding on the coattails of heavyweight PAP candidates in the GRCs?

Outwardly, the Government says it 'encourages contests in elections so issues can be debated and voters can make a conscious choice as to who should be their MP'. But critics say this is only rhetoric when opposition parties are stymied by shifting electoral boundaries, a high deposit of $13,500 per candidate, only nine days of campaigning, and few single-member wards to contest while 14 GRCs with 75 parliamentary seats are anchored by 'sure-win' heavyweight PAP candidates.

GE 2001 was a non-event. On Nomination Day, the PAP had already won the election with 55 uncontested seats. All told, 1.36 million eligible voters (67 per cent) did not get to vote when 10 GRCs went uncontested, up from 1.12 million voters in GE 1997.

No electoral system is perfect but when 67 per cent of voters are sidelined, never mind the resentment, a dozen red flags should have been raised and electoral reforms carried out if the Government truly relishes competition - reforms such as smaller GRCs, more single-member wards to test rookies, lower deposits, compulsory voting in uncontested wards and mandatory by-elections if candidates poll less than 50 per cent of votes.

And if minority-race candidates fear they cannot get into Parliament without a GRC, introduce proportional representation or let their own community vote them in. Only then will the people be convinced they have the best MPs to represent them.

Tan Keng Tat