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SINGAPORE: Parliament has rejected a motion tabled by Nominated MPs Thio Li-Ann and Loo Choon Yong for amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act to allow by-elections to be called in a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) when a member vacates his or her seat for any reason.
MPs, who voted with a division in the House, rejected the motion 62 to five.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who joined the debate in Parliament on the motion, stressed that there are no practical problems with a vacant seat in Jurong GRC and that the party, which the people had voted for, will still take care of residents - a benefit of the GRC system.
He added that there have been occasions when a by-election has been called at the discretion of the prime minister, and if for any reason he decides to call for one during the current term of Parliament, he will certainly consider Jurong.
Reminding MPs that the issue has been discussed many times before in the House, PM Lee said Singapore must never blindly follow others but should adapt its political system to suit its own circumstances.
Saying there is no need to change the electoral system to make clear when a by-election should be called, Mr Lee said what is important are the political realities of what works for Singapore.
Going back in history, Mr Lee said Singapore amended the Constitution after its separation from Malaysia. This was after hair-raising experiences with MPs switching sides and destabilising the government in pre-independence years.
The constitutional changes have led to a stable government, with less risk of MPs being bought or intimidated into switching sides.
Mr Lee explained that unlike other democracies like Britain in which MPs form the government, Singapore's system emphasises on choosing political parties. So when an MP is elected, it means voters are also giving the mandate to the party represented by the MP to form the government.
If a seat falls vacant mid-term - like in the case of Jurong GRC - the prime minister has the full discretion to decide when to call a by-election.
Mr Lee said: "The vacancy does not affect the mandate of the government, nor its ability to deliver on its programmes and promises. The government's mandate continues to run until the next general election is called, when the incumbent team will render account to the electorate.
"Even if in extremis the governing party ends up without a majority in Parliament, it still carries on to govern, so long as it retains the confidence of the House."
It is the same with GRCs and even when a minority member resigns, the government will continue, unless the vacancy results in it losing the confidence of the House.
- CNA/sf/ir
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