Gearing up for GE: SDP starts early, with plans for five constituency contests

Eleven opposition parties are likely to contest the coming election, the largest number since Independence. The Sunday Times looks at how the opposition is preparing for the polls.

Singapore Democratic Party's Dr Chee Soon Juan and an elderly resident giving each other the thumbs up during his walkabout in Yuhua with party members on Aug 4. SDP plans to launch its manifesto soon and hold a pre-election rally next month.
Singapore Democratic Party's Dr Chee Soon Juan and an elderly resident giving each other the thumbs up during his walkabout in Yuhua with party members on Aug 4. SDP plans to launch its manifesto soon and hold a pre-election rally next month. ST PHOTO: ZAIHAN MOHAMED YUSOF
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In the high-stakes game of Singapore politics, most opposition parties would keep their cards close to their chests until the last minute in order to foil rivals, including the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).

But, for the coming general election, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) - led by secretary-general Chee Soon Juan and chairman Paul Tambyah - was the first to lay some cards on the table. It declared that it aimed to contest five constituencies that it lost to the PAP in the previous GE.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on September 22, 2019, with the headline Gearing up for GE: SDP starts early, with plans for five constituency contests. Subscribe