Translated by Donaldson Tan
This is a non-verbatim translation of Zaobao report 《淡滨尼嗅出“三角战”烟硝味》 by Ho Si Wei & Cai Yong Wei dated 06 May 2012.
林瑞莲透露，工人党很快将展开下届大选的筹备工作，并会锁定上届大选角逐过的八个选区，以及淡滨尼集选区。
（2012-05-06）● 何惜薇 蔡永伟
离下一届大选的日子还很遥远，但其中一个集选区，已因为两个主要反对党的“插旗”表态，互不相让，开始嗅到烟硝味。
国会最大反对党工人党有意在下届大选角逐淡滨尼集选区议席，另一个反对党国民团结党也表示不会放弃淡滨尼，这一来，淡滨尼集选区在下届大选中，可能出现“三角战”。
去年5月当选为阿裕尼集选区议员的工人党主席林瑞莲接受本报电邮访问时透露，工人党很快将展开下届大选的筹备工作，并会锁定上届大选角逐过的八个选区，以及淡滨尼集选区。
这几个月来，除了曾经角逐的摩绵—加冷集选区和东海岸集选区，工人党也曾到淡滨尼集选区走动，售卖党报，并与居民接触交流。
其实，工人党向来对淡滨尼集选区有兴趣，主因是淡滨尼就位于工人党堡垒后港的毗邻。而实际上，该党在去年大选也原本打算派候选人角逐淡滨尼，但后来考虑到国民团结党有意在同个选区竞选，因此最终决定“让出”。
该党在去年大选中角逐四个集选区和四个单选区，除了阿裕尼集选区和后港区，还包括摩绵—加冷集选区、义顺集选区、东海岸集选区、如切区、盛港西区及榜鹅东区。
林瑞莲解释，这些选区集中在我国的东部及东北部，锁定它们能让该党更善用有限的资源。
国民团结党主席张培源昨天通过电话回答本报询问时说：“我们曾经说过，所有我们竞选过的选区，我们都不可能放弃。这个立场保持不变。”
团结党成立于1987年，淡滨尼是该党较早角逐的集选区。去年，团结党淡滨尼竞选团队对垒由国家发展部前部长马宝山坐镇的人民行动党团队，结果获42.78％得票率。与2006年大选的得票率相比，它去年的得票率跃进了11个百分点，也是该党历来挑战该集选区最好的表现。
团结党还没考虑出战后港区补选
工人党要在淡滨尼插旗，那团结党会否考虑出战后港区补选呢？
对此，张培源说，该党还没有做这方面的考虑，必须由中委会决定。
今年3月，团结党前秘书长吴明盛在博客上针对后港补选发表看法，指出去年大选中，工人党“咄咄逼人，就算是派二三线的队伍到摩绵—加冷与团结党的主队打三角战也在所不惜”。
团结党最后“忍辱负重退出，以避免三角战”，吴明盛相信工人党在下次大选会“更毫无顾忌地以强硬姿态到淡滨尼和马林百列集选区，与团结党硬碰硬”。
吴明盛当时也猜测，团结党很可能派在去年大选中代表团结党出战马林百列集选区的“明星候选人”佘雪玲上阵。不过，佘雪玲随后表示无意参加后港单选区的补选。
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Three-cornered fight at Tampinese next GE
The next General Election (GE) is still a long time away, yet 2 leading opposition parties are already locking horns with each other. The Workers’ Party intends to contest Tampinese GRC at the next GE, which was contested by the National Solidarity Party (NSP) during GE2011, and this will result in a three-cornered fight.
WP Chairperson Ms Sylvia Lim revealed to Zaobao in an email that the WP has begun preparation for the next GE and that it will target the same eight constituencies it contested during GE2011 as well as Tampinese GRC.
During GE2011, the WP contested 4 GRCs and 4 SMCs. They are Aljunied GRC, Moulmein-Kallang GRC, Nee Soon GRC, East Coast GRC, Hougang SMC, Joo Chiat SMC, Sengkang West SMC and Punggol East SMC. In the last few months, the WP has visited Moulmein-Kallang GRC, East Coast GRC and Tampinese GRC.
According to Ms Lim, the WP always had an interest to contest Tampinese GRC due to its proximity to Hougang SMC, but it eventually withdrew from contesting Tampinese GRC because of NSP’s intention to contest there.
Ms Lim added that these nine GRCs and SMCs are in the East and Northeast parts of Singapore and their proximity would allow the WP to allocate resources efficiently.
However, the NSP will not bulge from its claim to Tampinese GRC. NSP President Sebastian Teo told Zaobao, “As we had said before, we will never give up the constituencies which we have contested. Our position on this matter remains unchanged.”
The NSP, founded in 1987, contested Tampinese GRC in GE2006 and GE2011. During GE2011, NSP won 42.78% of votes for Tampines GRC against the incumbent PAP team led by then Minister of National Development Mah Bow Tan. This was not only an 11 percentage point improvement for NSP compared to its performance in GE2006, Tampines GRC was also NSP’s best performing ward in GE2011.
Will NSP contest the Hougang By-election?
Will the NSP contest the Hougang By-election in response to WP’s assertion to contest Tampinese GRC? Mr Teo said that the NSP has yet to deliberate on the matter and this will be decided by its Central Executive Committee (CEC).
On the other hand, former NSP Secretary-General Goh Meng Seng speculated in his blog during March 2012 that the NSP will send its political starlet Ms Nicole Seah to contest Hougang By-election in response to the WP’s aggression during GE2011. However, Ms Seah said that she has no interest to contest Hougang By-election.
Mr Goh also blogged that during GE2011, the WP was very aggressive in asserting claims over Moulmein-Kallang GRC and that it meant business even if it means sending a second- or third-tier team to contest at expense of the NSP. Eventually, the NSP bit the bullet and withdrew from Moulmein-Kallang GRC in order to avoid a three-cornered fight.
Mr Goh believed as a result of this experience, the WP will act more aggressively in future and that it will not hesitate to flag Tampinese GRC and Marine Parade GRC as its own territory, even if it means fighting head-on with the NSP.
