Group to submit report to UN body on electoral system

Jun 24, 2010

Group to submit report to UN body on electoral system

A POLITICAL association led by former opposition candidate James Gomez plans to submit a report on Singapore's electoral system to the United Nations Human Rights Council later this year. Singaporeans for Democracy (SFD) said in a statement yesterday that Dr Gomez met officials from the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights in Bangkok on Tuesday. He informed them of his plan and 'secured agreement to the independent submission' of a report. The report will be part of the council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a process started in 2006 to assess the human rights record of all 192 UN members. Singapore is up for review at the UPR's 11th session next year, says its website. Besides NGOs, the UPR also considers reports and documents from UN members, human rights experts and groups, UN entities and stakeholders such as national human rights institutions. Dr Gomez said yesterday that as a political association, the SFD was well-positioned to submit a report on the electoral system. It would offer a different perspective from reports by academics. The Melbourne-based PR lecturer said: 'With elections around the corner, the report is a great opportunity to put the spotlight on the electoral system here.' The next election is due by February 2012. Dr Gomez, who contested the 2006 election in Aljunied GRC as part of a Workers' Party team, said the SFD will focus on areas like the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) scheme, which it believes has contributed to racial discrimination here. The SFD will consult opposition parties and lawyers with constitutional experience. Singaporeans can give inputs at a public consultation in September. The SFD will invite the Elections Department to send representatives to the event, he said. KOR KIAN BENG