When Michael Palmer resigned from his seat, what happened?

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

When Michael Palmer resigned from his seat some time after the election, what happened?

The seat was replaced with WP's Ms Lee Li Lian, who won through a democratic process (the by-election).

Now that this WP's candidate does not want to take up the seat, WP wants to have its own free choice of another candidate to take up the NCMP seat.

I know, there are differences. For the former scenario, the Constitution made it clear that there has to be a by-election to replace the seat. The PAP cannot just pick its own choice of candidate to replace Michael Palmer.

For the latter, the Constitution, which was drawn up by the Government when the NCMP scheme was established, gives the Opposition the opportunity to start a debate in Parliament, so they can replace the NCMP seat.

However, Singaporeans as well as the Government must be mindful of what message the decision will send across, should WP be allowed its free choice of candidate. This is aside from WP's previous contradicting stand on the NCMP scheme.

Most of those supporting WP's alternative candidate has cited reasons such as how the Government should not be so "petty" and should give chance to the WP. Hopefully WP's stand will not be the same - which is to view it as an entitlement rather than a privilege.

If the Government portrays itself as one who gives so many concessions to the Opposition, the demands of the Opposition's supporters will only get larger and larger (it already is going in this direction).

This one debate may just set the tone for more to come - to replace time which could be used for debating critical national issues, with time used to debate on why the Government should give more concessions to the Opposition.

It is not merely a matter of allowing one candidate to take on the NCMP seat. It is how the people, as well as WP, views this. If WP does get what it wanted, will it respect the decision, cherish all the time spent on debating and understand that this is not merely an entitlement for them? Or will it see this as something which is rightfully theirs, and be encouraged to have more debates like this one? (debates which replace those on critical national issues)

The people's views and the WP's stand on this will be crucial.

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