Saturday, May 7, 2011

How The Ballot Is Abused

By now, everyone knows our vote is secret.

The ballot boxes are scrutinised by watchful eyes from both camps. After counting, the incineration of the sealed boxes of ballot papers is also similarly witnessed. This is the last bastion of legitimate democracy. This is a line that even moral degenerates like Vivian Balakrishnan, with his smear campaign against Christian fundamentalists and gays alike, dare not cross. The last thing he would want is a flight of Black Hawk helicopters laden with Navy Seals hovering over his residence, a reprise of their successful surgical strike at Abottabad.

Prior to the 1997 election, all votes were counted at the constituency level. To fix the opposition, there was a change to count the votes at the precinct level. This does not compromise vote secrecy, since there is still no way to determine how individuals voted. However, as Low Thia Khiang explains it, "Such a counting system allows the PAP to know which cluster of of flats or areas contained more opposition supporters so that they can redraw the boundaries to their advantage (at the next election)." This is the crux of their gerrymandering.

This was why some 22,000 voters living in the Hougang area which was part of Aljunied GRC have been moved into Ang Mo Kio GRC. What the PAP fail to recognise is that the knife can cut both ways. The batch of voters kicked around like a football could end up to be a liability for the Minister at Ang Mo Kio GRC. Their tunnel vision has always been that the electorate always vote for the Party, never mind if the team include dubious characters with shady motivations for office.

In the sample polling card for West Coast below note the designation for "polling place no." While awaiting your turn, see how HDB and private property dwellers queue at different lines. You get the idea.

5 comments:

  1. There is a tide in the affairs of man which taken at the head leads on to fortune. The time is NOW.The time is HERE. HIT pap where it hurts. At least give them a bloody nose to wake them up

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  2. Ask what you can do for the country and not what the country can do for you.

    This is a golden quote from the late President JFK of USA.

    Singaporeans likewise should not be just make noise and unhappy on ill policies implemented. Singaporeans should do their part as the responsible citizens to vote wisely to get rid of any gerrymandering and unwanted constitutional amendments.

    If you do not do for country to uphold the fundamental citizen rights and good governance (not good government as defined by PAP but the UN definition), how could you expect the country under the rule of a dictatorship party to have the good policies to look after you?

    A simple question to ask yourself before you cast your vote:
    Do you want to live in a country that has totally no accountability and transparency?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Vote for values and principles against greed.
    Vote for love and care against arrogance and pride.
    Vote for accountability and responsibility against self-enrichment.
    Vote for hope against fear.
    Justice & equality of opportunities....in love and in truth.

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  4. Yea, first I was directed into 2 different directions, left or right. I didn't notice if there is a centre queue or not. Then I was directed further into one of the 4 queues A1 to A4. So that means a total of 8 groups in my polling station.

    I suppose that would be very useful info for PAP to harness for their next gerrymandering exercise. Maybe foul play would be a more suitable name, if it is indeed manipulated.

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  5. It is never difficult to profile voters in an election. However, if there is widespread supports from voters for opposition parties, profiling the voting pattern may not serve any purpose for future elections.

    ReplyDelete