Independent candidates and their viability

Independent candidates and their viability

SINGAPORE - Much coverage has been given to the usual political parties ever since time memoral. The usual suspects aside, only one group of candidates remain overlooked - the independent candidates. In fact, only one independent candidate has been successful thus far, and no prizes for guessing but he’s none under than Mr Chiam See Tong. Mr Chiam contested unsuccessfully at Cairnhill constituency as an independent candidate before he went on to establish the Singapore Democratic Party. The rest, they say, is the stuff of legends.

There is great variance in the performance of independent candidates. Some scored low single digits (below 5%) while others like Mr Chiam managed more than 30% of the votes. However, the fact remains that independent candidates earn less votes on average as compared to party candidates, including those from the opposition. Thus, it appears that independent candidates are at a distinct disadvantage.

Political commentators have always reiterated that party brand name gives the candidate an edge. That is true to a certain extent. The Singaporean mindset, which has always been peppered with People’s Action Party, Workers’ Party and Singapore Democratic Party, may find independent candidates an unfamiliar proposition. This may count against the latter. And independent candidates who were relative unknowns before the elections may face an uphill struggle.

And it wouldn’t help independent candidates if they contested for the sake of expressing dissenting views while failing to articulate on suggested policies that can advance the voters’ interest. On this account, this has got more to do with the voters’ high expectations rather than the candidates’ shortcoming. These are the voters who expect candidates to bring something else to their table, other than dissenting views, and are likely to vote for parties who can fulfill their interests.

Besides organizational and logistical assistance, new candidates joining an established party enjoy the backing of popular party stalwarts during elections, and this may swing votes in their favour. For instance, Worker’s Party Mr Low Thia Khiang gave rally speeches in constituencies other than his own, throwing his weight behind his new candidates and assisting them. And this is considered a crucial move to help garner support for the new candidates.

So, does that mean independent candidates do not stand any chance?

The answer lies in the independent candidate in question. If the latter is both a well-known personality and proven leader with a string of achievements under his belt, voters may just overlook his independence which pretty much negates some of his disadvantage. And if the latter is a prominent member of a well-known organization, his profile would be boosted a few notches, especially when he is considered an authority in certain areas. In fact, some postulated that as discontentment with the current government grows, more of such independent candidates will surface to contest the elections to address the pertinent issues that are the source of such unhappiness.

Thus, although the proverbial independent candidate may face daunting odds, the latter’s success or failure hinges on who he is and what he has to offer.
Independent candidates and their viability
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Are independent candidates are at a disadvantage?
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By Kelvin Teo ⋅ March 30, 2009

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SINGAPORE - Much coverage has been given to the usual political parties ever since time memoral. The usual suspects aside, only one group of candidates remain overlooked - the independent candidates. In fact, only one independent candidate has been successful thus far, and no prizes for guessing but he’s none under than Mr Chiam See Tong. Mr Chiam contested unsuccessfully at Cairnhill constituency as an independent candidate before he went on to establish the Singapore Democratic Party. The rest, they say, is the stuff of legends.

There is great variance in the performance of independent candidates. Some scored low single digits (below 5%) while others like Mr Chiam managed more than 30% of the votes. However, the fact remains that independent candidates earn less votes on average as compared to party candidates, including those from the opposition. Thus, it appears that independent candidates are at a distinct disadvantage.

Political commentators have always reiterated that party brand name gives the candidate an edge. That is true to a certain extent. The Singaporean mindset, which has always been peppered with People’s Action Party, Workers’ Party and Singapore Democratic Party, may find independent candidates an unfamiliar proposition. This may count against the latter. And independent candidates who were relative unknowns before the elections may face an uphill struggle.

And it wouldn’t help independent candidates if they contested for the sake of expressing dissenting views while failing to articulate on suggested policies that can advance the voters’ interest. On this account, this has got more to do with the voters’ high expectations rather than the candidates’ shortcoming. These are the voters who expect candidates to bring something else to their table, other than dissenting views, and are likely to vote for parties who can fulfill their interests.

Besides organizational and logistical assistance, new candidates joining an established party enjoy the backing of popular party stalwarts during elections, and this may swing votes in their favour. For instance, Worker’s Party Mr Low Thia Khiang gave rally speeches in constituencies other than his own, throwing his weight behind his new candidates and assisting them. And this is considered a crucial move to help garner support for the new candidates.

So, does that mean independent candidates do not stand any chance?

The answer lies in the independent candidate in question. If the latter is both a well-known personality and proven leader with a string of achievements under his belt, voters may just overlook his independence which pretty much negates some of his disadvantage. And if the latter is a prominent member of a well-known organization, his profile would be boosted a few notches, especially when he is considered an authority in certain areas. In fact, some postulated that as discontentment with the current government grows, more of such independent candidates will surface to contest the elections to address the pertinent issues that are the source of such unhappiness.

Thus, although the proverbial independent candidate may face daunting odds, the latter’s success or failure hinges on who he is and what he has to offer.

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