The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Singapore People’s Party (SPP) announced on today at the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the two parties that they would be fielding a joint team to contest Bishan-Toa Payoh at the upcoming General Elections (GE).
They also announced that DPP secretary-general Benjamin Pwee and chairman Hamim Aliyas have resigned from the party and rejoined the SPP, which they both quit in 2012.
“The only way this joint team could happen was if our candidates (for Bishan-Toa Payoh) resigned and joined SPP, because from the outset we agreed to run under the SPP banner,” Mr Pwee said.
He added that the SPP did not demand their resignation. The 5-man team under the SPP banner would be announced on Sunday.
Both 47 year-old Mr Pwee and 52 year-old Mr Hamim contested under the SPP team in the 2011 GE in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC. The team, then helmed by Mr Chiam See Tong, lost to the People's Action Party (PAP), which gathered 56.93% of the vote.
After leaving the SPP in 2012, Mr Pwee and Mr Hamim joined the DPP in 2013 and were appointed to executive positions a few months later.
Mr Pwee has insisted that their return to the SPP was “not a case of jumping ship”. Should the SPP team lose at the polls on 11th September, Mr Pwee and Mr Hamim would return to the DPP.
In the meantime, Mr Wilfred Leung has been appointed the DPP acting secretary-general and Ms Juliana Juwahir the acting chairperson.
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