Singapore: Pritam Singh tipped to be next WP chief

  • Workers’ Party assistant secretary-general Pritam Singh, 41, looks set to take over from party chief Low Thia Khiang in 2018, a move that may usher in a more assertive stance by the WP. Mr Singh declined to fuel speculation.
  • First, party cadres – who will choose the secretary-general at an election due 2018 – will likely favour an elected MP as WP chief, over a Non-Constituency MP.
  • The second reason: Mr Low’s stepping down is part of a larger move to renew the WP’s leadership, and this narrative would be placed in doubt if he hands over to someone in his or her 50s with fewer years left in politics.
  • Also, he received the most votes at 2016’s executive committee election, a show of his standing among cadres
  • One big uncertainty is the lawsuit brought against WP MPs by an independent panel representing AHTC
  • What would the WP look like under Mr Singh? WP members say he will continue focusing heavily on ground work, engaging voters door-to-door and meeting local needs.
  • Some added that he has shown signs of being more combative than Mr Low in Parliament

External Link : http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/pritam-singh-tipped-to-be-next-wp-chief

14-Nov-2017