Singapore’s four opposition parties gain ROS’ in-principle approval for the People’s Alliance formation

SINGAPORE: Four opposition parties—Peoples Voice (PV), Reform Party (RP), People’s Power Party (PPP), and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)—have received in-principle approval from the Registry of Societies to establish The People’s Alliance.

Lim Tean, the Chief of PV, enthusiastically shared this milestone on Facebook on Wednesday (15 Nov), emphasizing that the coalition of these four parties now forms a “true coalition.”

“We are a true coalition, not a loose alliance, and we shall be fighting the next GE under one United Banner!”

He highlighted that this approval enables candidates from the coalition’s various parties to run as a cohesive team in a GRC.

Lim Tean expressed that this coalition signifies a model of genuine opposition unity.

“Not some fluffy non-committal notion but a true combination of opposition resources and talent to bring forth a more democratic and prosperous Singapore for our citizens and next generation!”

Four opposition parties unite to form the “People’s Alliance”

In June this year, the four parties announced the formation of the coalition, in response to the growing demands from Singaporeans for a united opposition to challenge the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

This development comes amidst the backdrop of a similar attempt made in 2020, where then-existing SingFirst, DPP, PPP, and RP intended to register a new alliance for the upcoming General Election.

A point of note is that these parties had shown interest in joining the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), Singapore’s only previously registered political alliance.

However, their intention was indirectly rejected as SDA, led by Mr Desmond Lim and comprising of the Singapore Justice Party (SJP), Singapore National Front (SNF) and Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS), put membership applications on hold indefinitely.

The announcement of the proposed alliance notes that many Singaporeans are concerned with the rising cost of living, high property prices, job insecurity, and other societal grievances, signalling a need for change in the political leadership.

Since January 2023, the four parties have been in negotiations to form an alliance, which has now been realized. Previous attempts to establish a united front among opposition parties were unsuccessful.

The People’s Alliance has been formed with the intention of contesting the next General Election under this unified banner. The alliance has already agreed on the most critical issues affecting Singapore’s prosperity and has prepared a manifesto for the upcoming election.

As per the press release in June, the People’s Alliance is set to contest all the seats that the four respective parties had vied for in the General Election of 2020, in addition to several other constituencies in the upcoming General Election due in 2025.

The constituencies that these parties previously contested include Radin Mas Single Member Constituency (SMC), Mountbatten SMC, MacPherson SMC, Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Ang Mo Kio GRC, and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

These constituencies account for a total of 17 seats.

The alliance’s core message is that of unity, promising to protect and further the interest of Singapore’s citizens.

The first Central Executive Committee of the People’s Alliance includes representatives from each party, with Mr Jeyaretnam serving as Chairman, Mr Lim as Secretary-General and Mr Goh as Organising Secretary, among others.

Once the registration of the People’s Alliance with the Registry of Societies is approved, the alliance will hold an official press conference and launch.

Earlier in October, a non-formal partnership, “The Coalition”, formed by four other opposition parties, was unveiled at a press conference at the Copthorne Kings Hotel, comprising the National Solidarity Party (NSP), Red Dot United (RDU), Singapore People’s Party (SPP), and Singapore United Party (SUP).

These parties have marked their collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), pledging a unified strategy for the forthcoming elections.

Their combined approach encompasses key strategies: collaborative campaigning, strategic electoral positioning to prevent multi-cornered fights, and unified efforts in developing a manifesto and selecting candidates.

RDU’s secretary-general, Ravi Philemon, highlighted the coalition’s distinctive nature. “This partnership is grounded in mutual respect, allowing each party to maintain its unique identity while finding common ground for cooperation,” he stated.

The Coalition has shared that it remains open to discussions with other opposition entities, affirming a shared goal of stronger, more balanced national governance.

Mr Philemon said, “We are always talking to our friends from the opposition fraternity, including the Workers’ Party, the PSP and SDP, we are not opposed to working together; in fact, we welcome working together with the other opposition parties.”