THE GOMEZ SAGA: PAP'S APPROACH TO THE OPPOSITION

UNCLAS SINGAPORE 001740 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM SN SUBJECT: THE GOMEZ SAGA: PAP'S APPROACH TO THE OPPOSITION REF: A. SINGAPORE 1486 ¶B. SINGAPORE 1289 ¶1. (U) Summary: Opposition politician James Gomez left Singapore for Sweden on May 15 after the police issued him a "stern warning." The Elections Department had accused him of "criminal intimidation" stemming from his mishandling the paperwork of his election campaign (Ref A),and the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) turned the issue into one of the main themes of its campaign for the May 6 election. PAP leaders have acknowledged that some hardball tactics used in the Gomez affair may have backfired and cost them votes. End Summary. An unsubmitted form ... -------------- ¶2. (U) Contested group representation constituencies (GRCs) require at least one candidate to be from an ethnic minority, and candidates must file an application form with the Elections Department to obtain certification (Ref B). James Gomez, from the Worker's Party (WP),went to the Elections Department to submit this form on April 24 but when he returned on April 26 to pick up his certification, an elections official told him they had no record he had submitted the form. Gomez insisted he had and asked the Elections Department to check again; he reportedly warned the Elections Department staffer of possible "consequences" if they had lost his form. The Elections Department subsequently issued a press statement declaring that it had examined security tapes that showed Gomez placing the application form in his briefcase and leaving the Elections Department without submitting it. The PAP Attacks -------------- ¶3. (U) The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) made this issue a central theme in its electoral campaign. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, and Foreign Minister George Yeo (the PAP incumbent leader in the Aljunied GRC where Gomez was running) encouraged the WP and Gomez to "come clean." The Elections Department released the 11-minute security video footage to journalists and gave them a transcript of a taped phone conversation between Gomez and an Elections Department official that took place April 26, when the official informed Gomez that security tapes indicated he had not submitted his form. At a WP rally on April 29, Gomez publicly apologized, but PAP leaders continued to criticize him. ¶4. (U) After four days of PAP attacks, some editorial commentators began to urge the PAP to move on and focus on the larger, substantive issues of the election. Senior Minister Goh also told reporters the day after Gomez's apology that it was time to move on, though two days later, he reversed his position, noting that a conversation with DPM Wong had convinced him the matter was serious. Minister Mentor Lee entered the fray by accusing Gomez of being a "liar," and challenging Gomez to sue him for defamation if this was not the case. PM Lee declared that the integrity of government and Singapore's reputation were at stake. Post-election: Criminal Charges -------------- ¶6. (U) On May 7, the day after his defeat in the election, immigration officials stopped Gomez at Changi airport and seized his passport, preventing him from leaving Singapore to return to his home in Sweden. Police questioned Gomez for eight hours, in response to charges filed against him by the Elections Department for criminal intimidation and giving false information, which can result in a jail sentence and/or a fine. Police questioned Gomez two additional times, along with WP Secretary General Low Thia Khiang and WP Chairman Sylvia Lim. The public prosecutor thought Gomez was guilty, but chose to issue a "stern warning" based on Gomez's cooperation with the police investigation and his lack of a prior criminal record. Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Though the PAP may have won over some "heartlanders" from the WP by disparaging Gomez and casting doubt on the integrity of his party, their hectoring clearly alienated many other members of the public and elite, including PAP supporters. This and other election missteps have resulted in some self-assessment within the PAP and an acknowledgment that the old-style tactics of MM Lee Kuan Yew may no longer be viable, particularly with younger voters. HERBOLD