For opposition parties, we will see quite the alphabet soup in terms of potential contests, assuming every party has the resources to contest in all the constituencies they did previously.
The West Coast-Jurong West GRC voter might see a PAP-PSP (Progress Singapore Party) contest, or even a PAP-PSP-RDU (Red Dot United) line-up.
For the Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC voter, possible opposition parties wanting to contest might include PSP, SDP (Singapore Democratic Party) and RDU.
Similar multi-cornered fights might play out in the east and northeast. For example, the new Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC would have to contend with the WP (Workers’ Party), SPP (Singapore People’s Party), PPP (People’s Power Party) and PV (Peoples Voice).
The new Punggol GRC and Pasir Ris-Changi GRC will meet with SDA (Singapore Democratic Alliance) and WP.
For voters who are concerned about local municipal issues or have formed bonds with the incumbent MP, a change of the MP in charge of their ward might mean losing a familiar face, which might affect their voting considerations. It could lead them to become more open to the opposition candidates, or they might turn to consider overall national issues instead.
While a preference for the incumbent party might remain, it is likely to lack that human connection formed with the incumbent MP, and perhaps also be weakened by a multi-cornered contest.
A change in the contesting opposition party will also impact voters’ choice. Every opposition party is unique – they each have their own manifesto, views on various issues, and different types of candidates. Hence, voters might draw different conclusions on whether the opposition party contesting in their constituency can measure up to the incumbent.
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