Goh's reelection

Our neighbor Singapore completed its feast of democracy Thursday. The People's Action Party (PAP) led by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong achieved an absolute victory, leaving the opposition party just two seats in parliament, which is two fewer than after the previous general election.

The PAP was governing Singapore even before Britain granted it self-rule in 1956. For a 13-year period after Singapore became an independent state separate from Malaysia in 1965, the PAP controlled every single seat in parliament. The party has maintained its tradition of election victory and the allowance of two seats to the opposition appears more like a political gesture to let the world know that the democratic system is being properly applied.

Political analyst Bruce Gale even contends that if the opposition were to win 10 seats in parliament, Goh's leadership would be harmed because it would indicate his inability to perpetuate the accomplishment made by his predecessor, Lee Kuan Yew. Aside from all this, a PAP defeat would inevitably lead to instability in a country whose geographic position helps to determine the state of stability in the ASEAN region. As neighbors, we obviously do not want this to happen because any instability in this region would, either directly or indirectly, bear grave consequences for all of us.

A country's internal politics is its own affair, in which other countries have no right to interfere. Nevertheless, because of the prevailing spirit of openness and because of the existing close economic relations in this region, it seems quite proper for us to express our relief at seeing some of those internal developments run in line with our ideal of building a peaceful, stable, nuclear-free and prosperous Southeast Asia.

-- Business Indonesia, Jakarta