Workers' Party (WP) Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang said today that he will stay on to contest in Aljunied Group Representative Constituency (GRC) this coming General Elections. He added that that his party is committed to avoiding 3 cornered fights as much as possible.
In the 2011 election, Mr Low moved out of his stronghold Hougang ward to contest in Aljunied GRC.
When reporters asked him if he would move to another constituency for the coming election, he said: "I will not move. I appreciate very much the residents of Aljunied who have given us a chance to serve, who have responded to the call to move Singapore towards a First World Parliament."
On Monday, members of nine opposition parties met to discuss ways to avoid three-cornered fights and would meet again this Thursday.
Last week, the WP said it has earmarked five GRCs and five single-seat wards as areas where it will contest. Mr Low made it clear it will not abandon areas where it previously enjoyed strong support - even if they are no longer on the electoral map.
"As a matter of principle, the WP will go back to where we have contested before," Mr Low said.
The WP will field 28 candidates in the coming election - five more than in 2011.
On its list are the newly created Jalan Besar GRC and the single-seat wards of MacPherson and Fengshan, as well as Marine Parade GRC - which absorbed neighbouring Joo Chiat, where the WP narrowly lost to the People's Action Party (PAP) in 2011.
The other areas are Aljunied GRC and the Hougang and Punggol East single seats - now held by the WP - and its longstanding targets of East Coast and Nee Soon GRCs and the single seat of Sengkang West.
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