Victorious Goh vows to step down after 2007

Victorious Goh vows to step down after 2007

Agencies, Singapore

Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong vowed Thursday to step
down in favor of a new generation of leaders by 2007, after he
won a fresh mandate to lead Singapore without a vote being cast.

"This will be the last election I will be leading the party as
prime minister," the 60-year-old Goh told a news conference,
adding that by the next elections due in 2007, there would be a
new team in charge.

His People's Action Party (PAP) won a fresh five-year mandate
after it stood unopposed in 55 of the 84 seats up for grabs in
the Nov. 3 snap elections by the time the deadline for
candidacies lapsed on Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 49, is the front runner
to succeed Goh, who took over in 1990 from Lee's father,
Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was also
returned unopposed to parliament and is now a senior minister.

"The PAP has been returned to form the government this
morning. Many seats were uncontested so we are now back in
government," Goh said.

"But this also places upon us a very heavy responsibility. The
election is held in very unusual times. The biggest worry that we
have is the economic recession. I'm very concerned about jobs
today, jobs tomorrow."

Goh said the election will represent "a changing of the guard"
but added that "it is not going to be sudden, it will take some
time."

"We have already started the process by recruiting a few
(potential) ministers ... and we are going to bring in more
people, and some will be contesting in this election," he said,
referring to young professionals and civil servants standing for
office for the first time under the PAP banner.

"When they are elected, some will be channeled as ministers
and at the right time, you can see the shift of a new team. And
hopefully by 2007, the changing of the guard will be completed,"
he said.

Goh said that when Lee Kuan Yew stepped down in 1990, Lee
again stood for elections without leading the PAP.

"So when I step down I should not lead it. A new leader must
lead it. But of course I must still play a very important part,"
Goh said.

The PAP nominated candidates to fight for all seats in
Parliament, while opposition candidates are only seeking 29. Some
had expected the opposition to contest up to 51 seats.

"It's a disappointment," Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan
Yew said of the low opposition turnout.

"For many of the new MPs who have never fought an election
before it would have been a good experience. But obviously they
(the opposition) couldn't mount the challenge," he said.

Opposition politician Chee Soon Juan, secretary general of the
Singapore Democratic Party, said on Thursday that the opposition
would fight hard in the election despite having no chance to win
a majority.

"The most important thing is really the ability of the people
to have their voice in Parliament," Chee said at a news
conference.

Chee vowed to "keep up this fight for the people" against an
"authoritarian, autocratic state."