GE2015: On the ground on Nomination Day
SINGAPORE — The hustings are well and truly underway. Here's what went on, starting from early this morning as candidates and their supporters gather to prepare for Nomination Day.
7.30pm: Candidates on walkabouts
Candidates from various parties give out flyers as they greet residents on walkabouts.
3pm: Walkabouts, campaign posters and press conferences
Candidates and parties have arranged for press conferences and walkabouts. Campaign posters by various parties, including the People's Action Party, People’s Power Party, Workers' Party and Singapore Democractic Party, were soon spotted on lamposts.
The National Solidarity Party's (NSP) Tampines GRC team held a press conference, where Mr Lim Tean introduced himself as the party's new acting secretary-general and addressed the party's turmoil in recent weeks. The team consists of Choong Hon Heng, Nor Lella Mardiiiah Mohamed, Sebastian Teo, Lim Tean and Reno Fong.
PAP candidates will also conduct walkabouts at areas including at Yuhua SMC, Chua Chu Kang GRC, Tampines GRC, Ang Mo Kio GRC, Sembawang GRC, Nee Soon GRC and Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.
Singapore People's Party candidate for Potong Pasir Lina Chiam will be conducting a walkabout at Sennett Estate.12.45pm: Candidates are being officially announced at the nomination centres.
Loud cheers can be heard as candidates make their speeches.
Reform Party candidate M Ravi makes a blunder in his speech, when he nearly tells voters to vote for the PAP. He quickly corrects himself and calls for votes for RP
Here are some of the candidate reactions following the announcements of the full list of candidates for GE 2015: http://tdy.sg/1JyLvcP
12.30pm: Time for inspection has closed. Confirmed candidates to be announced
Here is the full list: http://tdy.sg/1MYZTO1
12pm: Nominations have closed, inspection now begins at nomination centres before candidates are formally declared
Prime Minister’s Lee Hsien Loong’s wife Ho Ching was spotted among the People’s Action Party’s supporters at the Raffles Institution nomination centre.
A PAP supporter faints at Kong Hwa Primary School while waiting for confirmed nominations to be announced.
11am: Candidates begin filing nomination papers
Find out who the likely candidates are in each GRC and SMC here: http://tdy.sg/1MYZTO1
At the Keming Primary School nomination centre, Minister S Iswaran points out a discrepancy in the Reform Party’s nominations papers to party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam.
UPDATE: In a Facebook post later today, Mr Iswaran said: "If the error wasn't corrected, we were advised that the Reform Party team would have been disqualified on technical grounds. We, the PAP team, do not want to win on technicalities. We want to give our West Coast GRC voters a choice and look forward to a fair contest between our PAP team and the Reform Party team."
The National Solidarity Party candidates for Tampines GRC are: (From left) Mr Sebastian Teo, Mr Lim Tean, Ms Nor Lella Mardiiiah Bte Mohamed, Mr Fong Chin Leong and Mr Choong Hon Heng.
10am: Candidates begin arriving at the various nomination centres
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) likely candidates for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC have arrived at the nomination centre at Yishun Primary School.
They are: Mr Bryan Lim, Mr Damanhuri Abas, Mr John Tan and Ms Wong Souk Yee.
The Reform Party’s likely line-up for West Coast GRC has arrived at Keming Primary School. They are: (From left) Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Andy Zhu, Darren Soh and Noraini Yunus.
The Workers' Party's likely lineup for Nee Soon GRC are (from left): Mr Kenneth Foo, Mr Gurmit Singh, Mr Luke Koh, Mr Ron Tan and Ms Cheryl Loh.
The PAP and SingFirst teams contesting in Jurong GRC exchange friendly handshakes. The PAP team is: Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Desmond Lee, Ang Wei Neng, Rahayu Mazam and Tan Wu Meng.
SingFirst's likely team in Jurong GRC will be led by David Foo. The team includes Tan Peng Ann, Sukdeu Singh, Wong Chee Wai and Wong Soon Hong.
The PAP team for West Coast GRC has arrived at Keming Primary School. They are Patrick Tay, Lim Hng Kiang, S Iswaran and Foo Mee Har.
At Sembawang GRC, People's Action Party (PAP) candidates Khaw Boon Wan, Vikram Nair and Lim Wee Kiak were seen checking documents at their branch office, before they headed to the nomination centre. PAP activists and volunteers were seen dropped off at Whampoa South, near the Bendemeer Primary Nomination Centre.
A group of PAP supporters were also waiting in front of Yishun Primary, Keming Primary and at the Nee Soon East Courtyard.
Over at the Workers' Party's AHPETC Kaki Bukit office, WP candidates including Leon Perera, Yee Jenn Jong and Daniel Goh were spotted shortly after 8am. WP chief Low Thia Khiang, chairman Sylvia Lim and Frieda Chan were also at the Hougang Branch town council office, as well as other WP MPs. They mingled with supporters who were at the branch office too. Flags were brought out and prepared to be brought to the nomination centre.
In a surprise turn of events, former National Solidarity Party CEC member Mohamed Fazli Talip, who resigned from the NSP just about a week ago, was spotted at the Singapore People's Party headquarters. He said he would be volunteering as an election agent for the SPP.
Our reporters on the ground will be tweeting the latest happenings. They are on Twitter at: Joy Fang ( @joyfangtoday) Hon Jing Yi ( @honjingyi), Valerie Koh ( @valeriekohsf), Laura Philomin ( @lauraphilomin), Amanda Lee ( @_leeamanda), Neo Chai Chin ( @chaichintoday), Kelly Ng ( @sayskelly), Ng Jing Yng ( @jingyngtoday), Siau Ming En ( @mingentoday), Tan Weizhen ( @weizent), Tang Chee Seng ( @tcs0202), Toh Ee Ming ( @eeming_toh). Reporting also by Lee Yen Nee and Celene Tan.
