TNAG-2501-FCO40-3639-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Commonwealth-countries-1992 — Page 35

SINGAPORE

Internal Political

CONFIDENTIAL

1.

The Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong has brought a new style

to the Singapore government. The emphasis is now on

teamwork, consultation and feedback from the grass roots.

But he still feels overshadowed by Lee Kuan Yew. When Goh called the snap general election for August 1991 (two years ahead of time), he asked the people to give a firm mandate to him and his new style of government by increasing the PAP percentage of the vote from the 63.2% it won in 1988. Goh did not, however, secure the endorsement he sought; the PAP won 61% of votes cast, and the opposition parties gained 3

seats, bringing their total to 4.

Goh's target was unrealistic:

the PAP's share of the

2. vote had declined steadily since independence, and the Opposition chose to contest only 40 of the 81 seats (they were therefore able to field their strongest candidates and contested only the most marginal seats). The Opposition took

advantage of the fact that Goh had technically won the election before the polls opened, and of his insistence that the people should vote on one issue only (open government),

to persuade the voters to treat the election as if it were just a by-election. Their strategy paid off, and Goh stated publicly his deep disappointment at the result. Had he set

himself a more realistic target however, 61% of the vote

might have been presented as a victory.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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