He botched a simple but crucial process to file his application!
Sure it was said that he was "not trying to be funny" (it's a sad, pathetic case in fact) & did not do it on purpose (he's too young to be senile, isn't he?!). Then again, the incident just makes me wonder how capable our opposition candidates, really??? Creating a free publicity (our newspaper is always hungry for news, alright) with what should be considered an embarrassing human error. Sigh.
An opposition candidate, who caused a stir with his application forms at the Election Department during the last General Election in 2006, has quit the Workers' Party (WP).
James Gomez, who stood on the WP ticket in the Aljunied GRC team, announced on Tuesday his decision not to renew his Workers' Party membership, which lapsed on December 31 last year.
He was speaking at a Speakers' Corner event in memory of the late opposition figure JB Jeyaretnam.
Mr Gomez was in the spotlight during the previous general election when he claimed he had submitted his form for the minority certificate to the Elections Department.
Investigations and CCTV footage later showed he had not done so. Mr Gomez was then taken to task by leaders of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
Among them was First Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng who, during the 2006 hustings, warned the electorate that Mr Gomez had attempted to create the impression that the Elections Department was at fault.
As Polling Day neared, Mr Gomez admitted he did not file the application, contrary to his earlier claims.
The WP's Secretary General Low Thia Khiang said the incident was merely an unintentional omission and a mistake made as Mr Gomez was busy. Mr Low declared that Mr Gomez was "not trying to be funny", and did not do it on purpose.
The Workers' Party team lost narrowly to the PAP team at the Aljunied GRC polls in 2006.
From Channel NewsAsia, "Opposition candidate for Aljunied GRC James Gomez quits Workers' Party".
Update on 07/01: James Gomez will focus on 'non-party work' but does not rule out contesting next GE.
DR JAMES Gomez, the Workers' Party (WP) candidate for Aljunied GRC who caused a controversy during the 2006 general election, has quit the party.
He has also submitted an application to set up a civil society group called Singaporeans for Democracy, but the application has yet to be approved by the Registry of Societies (ROS).
Dr Gomez told The Straits Times yesterday that the group he plans to form will aim to promote civil and political reforms among Singaporeans here and abroad using new media tools.
The group submitted its application in April last year but has yet to hear from the ROS, he said.
Under ROS rules, 10 names need to be submitted in any application to start a new society. Dr Gomez declined to say who the other nine are.
When contacted by The Straits Times, the ROS said it received the application on April 28 last year. It is currently processing the application and will inform the society once its registration has been approved, it said.
From Straits Times, "Gomez quits Workers' Party".
