OPINION ARTICLE / VIDEO: "Who is Seelan Palay?" By Martyn See, 2 October 2017.

Seelan (first on right) meeting up with friends after his release. — with Teo Soh Lung, Tan Tee Seng, Seelan Palay, and Parthiban Manoharan [names provided by Teo Soh Lung].

Who is Seelan Palay? By Martyn See.

Sept 2006 (IMF-World Bank Meetings): 21-year-old artist Seelan Palay is arrested by police over a plan to distribute flyers ahead of the IMF-World Bank meetings. Palay had earlier initiated an online campaign to capture photos of "400 Frowns" in protest against government policies.

Jan 2008: Artist Seelan Palay completes a solo five-day hunger strike outside the Malaysian High Commission in protest against the Malaysian Government's detention of five leaders of ethnic Indian group Hindraf. Wearing a placard around his neck that said, "Give them fair trial," Palay was briefly warned by police that he would be flouting the law. No arrest or charges were filed.

May 2008: Five Singaporeans, holding aloft a series of banners with messages such as "Censored News Is No News" and "Newspapers and Printing Presses Act = Repression", stand outside the Singapore Press Holdings building to mark World Press Freedom Day. There were no reported arrests.

Jan 2009: Wearing red t-shirts and holding a banner that read 'Stop ill-treatment of Burmese activists', two protesters stood for an hour outside the Ministry of Manpower before being handcuffed and escorted into police vehicles. The two were protesting against the non-renewal of visas to some Myanmar expatriates, whom the Government said are "not welcomed in Singapore". The two Singaporeans, Seelan Palay and Chong Kai Xiong, were investigated for the offence of criminal trespass.

Oct 2017: Artist and activist Seelan Palay marks his 32 years of age by holding a mirror in front of Parliament House to highlight the long-term detention of Dr Chia Thye Poh from 1966 to 1998. He was arrested and released 24 hours later.

http://singaporerebel.blogspot.sg/…/1994-2011-chronology-of…

Video:

"We are still colonised in Singapore, previously by white man, and now by men in white."

https://m.facebook.com/story.php…

Seelan Palay on police interrogations:

http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/…/activists-speak-about-…

Arrest of Seelan Palay

OPINION: "PAP's Lame Racial Politcs Justification", by Goh Meng Seng, 30 September 2017.

PAP's Lame Racial Politics Justification, by Goh Meng Seng, 30 September 2017.

ARTICLE: PAP's Supreme Leader PM Lee tried to explain and justify his (or his party's?) decision to amend the Constitution on the Reserved Elected Presidency amidst the big Hoohaa of whole Nation over this racially divisive end result.

Basically his logic is, if PAP ddin't carry out the Reserved Elected Presidency amendment, Singapore may not have a Malay President at all for the rest of Singapore's History.

Now, this is the most unconvincing and insulting reasoning for every Singaporean. He is basically implying that Singaporeans, especially the Majority Chinese, are RACIST when it comes to voting. Historical Empirical evidence has shown that Singaporeans, regardless of race, are NOT racist at all. JBJ was elected TWICE as MP as far back as 1981 until PAP used all means to keep him out of parliament. Michael Palmer was elected in the hotly contested GE 2011. Murali was elected in the 2016 BY-ELECTION in spite of the fact that PAP is supposed to suffer a handicap in by-elections! All these politicians, regardless of whether they are from opposition or PAP, had won against their Chinese opponents! Yet, PAP's Supreme Leader PM Lee wants to convince us that Singaporeans are incapable to vote independently of race?

The Truth is that PAP has NEVER felt race is a problem when they fielded Nathan, an Indian, as the candidate for TWO terms, not ONE, of Elected Presidency! In fact, if PAP really bothers about racial representation in our Nation's Presidency, then why didn't the Reserved Elected Presidency apply to Indians, Eurasians and even Chinese as well?

And the Blatant Truth is, PAP has selectively chosen to raise the entry barrier for candidates from Private sector while making candidates from their controlled field, aka civil service and political appointees, as easy as ever!

Well, before you think that PAP is racist, I must say I don't think so at all. They are just playing the race card as well as upping the stringent criteria to bar potential challengers from contesting against their PREFERRED candidate. This is a shameless move against Democracy and this is precisely the reason why Singaporeans are angry at them!

To insinuate Salleh Marican and Farid Khan as "opportunists" who didn't offer themselves as candidates in PE 2011 but only contest in this Reserved Elected Presidency, is the lamest reasoning ever. Did PAP ever offer their Malay Ministers as candidates for PE 2011? They didn't field any Malay Minister as PE candidate not because Singaporeans would vote according to race but basically it is because PAP doesn't have GOOD and STRONG Malay candidates for the Presidential contest in the very first place! And PAP knows that in a Presidential Elections, it is practically a NATION WIDE By-Election in which PAP's endorsed candidate will be heavily handicapped! Tony Tan's narrow win of 35% in PE 2011 was the warning shot to PAP.

In fact, I would think that if it is a one-to-one contest, an independent Malay or Indian or Eurasian Presidential Candidate would have better chance of winning against a PAP-endorsed Chinese candidate!

Such Kelong Politics is totally outdated and they shouldn't take Singaporeans as naive fools to believe in their lame excuses. Just admit it. PAP is just being Kiasu so much so that they have to Kelong the Presidential Elections by making use of the Race card.

[Goh Meng Seng is the former Secretary-General of National Solidarity Party (NSP) and the current Secretary-General of People's Power Party (PPP). This post is shared here with his kind permission.]

OPINION: "Sympathy to Kelong President", by Goh Meng Seng, 11 September 2017.

Thought of the Day - Sympathy to Kelong President, by Goh Meng Seng, 11 September 2017

My deepest Sympathy to the Madam Kelong President to be. No matter how you try to prove yourself capable of being independent of PAP, you will always be FOOT-noted in the History of Singapore as the Kelong President who is beholden to PAP for getting this disgraceful position of Presidency.

Mr Goh Meng Seng

It may not be your fault but you are the one who made the choice to play right into the hands of PAP and thus, rightfully so, you will have be responsible for your decision to play the puppet of power.

The circumstances under which you became the President bring no glory or pride to you, your family or your clan but only insults, shame and anger to the Malay community.

You have already been addressed as "Madam President" by your powerful colleagues even before the race and now, being made the Madam President as "planned" through administrative means. We cannot help but feel that this is all Kelong or an elaborated set up of a wayang.

Your colleagues have helped to set up barriers to all competition by making Reserved Presidential Elected... yes, make no mistake about it, it is indeed RESERVED for you and nobody else. By doing so, your Malay community has suffered humiliation not only once but twice throughout the whole farcical process. One, they have set on record that any Malay Presidential candidate, including you Madam Kelong President, will not be able to win in a fair and open Presidential Election because you are a minority despite the fact that, not so long ago, an Indian PAP candidate just won a by-election against the Secretary General of the second largest opposition party in Singapore!

The Malay community is further insulted when their two very successful self-made millionaires were denied candidacy even though they have created their own business empire which are worth multiple hundreds of millions. Do they lack any business, economics or financial capabilities to perform the role of the Elected Presidency when they have basically built their own business empires through their own merits? Obviously not; and I believe they are better qualified in business, economics and financial capabilities than you are, Madam Kelong President!

You are only qualified on the technicality of being the PAP appointed Speaker of Parliament which position doesn't involve managing any big business, least of all a $500 million paid up capital entity!

These are the Business Elites of the Malay community but they were put down as not good enough to be the Elected President? Only people like you who are beholden to PAP by working for PAP could be qualified as Kelong President?

How hurtful could that be to your Malay Community, which you proclaim to belong to?

Madam Kelong President, you may think that you have brought glory to yourself and the Malay community but no, you have instead brought shame, hurt and anger to the Malay community.

I would have even more sympathy for you if you really think it is something great to become the Kelong President as you wish because you are living in a dream that lacks legacy and dignity. Even your predecessor Tony Tan has more dignity than you do despite the fact that he won only by less than 35% but at least he fought the battle till the end! But you? You will always been seen as appointed by the 16 persons and PAP and nobody else.

My thanks to the other two Malay candidates, Salleh and Khan, for stepping forward to offer yourselves to serve Singapore as President. Don't feel bad to be rejected by the political sophistry of PAP because it is not the people like us who have rejected you. Only 16 people plus the PAP have rejected you. All the best to both of you. Thank you.

[This post was posted here with the kind permission of Goh Meng Seng. Mr Goh Meng Seng was formerly Secretary-General of the National Solidarity Party (NSP) and is presently Secretary-General of the People's Power Party (PPP).]

OPINION: "Quenching the Thirst by thinking of Plums", by Dr. Wong Wee Nam, 25 August 2017

望梅止渴

Quenching The Thirst By thinking Of Plums, by Dr. Wong Wee Nam

Two days ago I wrote an article on the PM’s National Day Rally 2017 Speech in which I had expressed my puzzlement over his choice of three subjects to speak. To me they were low priority topics in view of the many issues bothering Singaporeans like the economy, terrorism and the poor health of the MRT system.

Isn’t he not worried that the problems may cost the PAP votes? Apparently not. If anything it has raised his status a bit. To the 70% the first part established the PM as being very concerned to give Singapore’s future citizens a headstart over the rest of the world.

In the second part, he is seen as a very caring father figure who will go the distance to look after their health, and in the third he is going to modernize the country making us proud.

Whether these three policies will bear fruit eventually will be left to be seen.

Yes, life has been hard for the average citizen, with these visions of the future, they give them hope amidst their misery. Let the voters think of their children and grandchildren’s future. Voters think less of their problems than worry about the future generations. Whatever pains that are present in 2016/17 will be mitigated by the glorious years that would come in 2022. Whether we will achieve our goal is another matter. Doesn’t this remind us of “The Swiss Standard of Living” aspiration?

I am a believer of good early pre-school education. The aim must be to prepare the lower-income student adequate enough to bring him/ her to the same starting line as the rest of the cohort. Otherwise it has failed. Those who can afford can go to the private play schools and kindergartens, supplemented by good nutrition, good home environment and extracurricular/classes like swimming, ballet, art and holidays, get a head start. Even at the pre-school level, there is already a difference in mental and social development between the various social classes and a disparity in linguistic and motor abilities even before they start. 

For the children of the poor, English is a second language and if they have not mastered this in pre-school, they would be greatly disadvantaged when they start school. The formal school would also not be able to remedy this deficiency because the classes, too, are big and teachers are rushing to finish the syllabus. Not only will they struggle with English, they will also have to struggle with problem mathematics and in understanding science that uses English.

In 2009, research by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed that reading skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school or in post-formal education. Moreover, when in school, it is not likely for a child to develop the self-respect without some mastery of reading and verbal skills. Only with a good pre-school foundation can this gap be closed.

According to a working paper, Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships, by the Harvard’s National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, “Children who develop warm, positive relationships with their kindergarten teachers are more excited about learning, more positive about coming to school, more self-confident and achieve more in the classroom.”

For children of the lower social class, therefore, there should be specialised pre-school centres, adequately financed and run by the state, with well-trained professional teachers and specially-designed programmes. 

The class size should be small enough so that the teacher can pay attention to each and every child’s needs and the curriculum should be cognitive-orientated. Teachers must be trained to have the skills and attributes to detect and help the child overcome common behavioural problems so that the relationship would be one that is nurturing, stimulating and reliable.

With such a big responsibility, the teachers must be paid adequately so as to encourage them to stay in the profession and accumulate more experience and be a better teacher with time.

Harvard’s National Scientific Council on the Developing Child recommended that the early childhood education include:

1. All early childhood programs must balance their focus on cognition and literary skills with significant attention to emotional and social development;

2. The science of early emotional and social development must be incorporated into services in support of parents;

3. Providers of early care and education must have sufficient knowledge and skills to help children who present with early emotional problems early on, particularly those who exhibit significant aggression or difficulties with attention and “hyperactivity’;

4. Expertise in early identification, assessment and clinical treatment must be incorporated into existing intervention programmes; and

5. Suspected abuse or neglect must be investigated.

In today’s world, knowledge and technology are advancing so rapidly that if any individual is unable to keep abreast, he/she will be left far behind. The change is especially rapid in education.

The children of today must be taught to live in tomorrow’s world. Otherwise, society will not only have to shoulder the burden of the ageing population but also a huge percentage of an inadequately educated population.

The more fundamental solutions would be to reduce income inequality, give the poor a decent income, make healthcare affordable. 

Can a person in misery be made to forget his/her suffering with some hope? Will this exercise work again? It is hard to say. However, it worked many centuries ago.

During the period of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao led his troops on an expedition and had to march through a wilderness of barren rocks. It was summer and the weather was extremely hot. After a while, with the scorching sun burning down on them, the soldiers became very drained and thirsty. They were almost on the verge of mutiny.

Cao Cao knew that if he did not solve this problem, he would have a rebellion on his hands. Suddenly he had a brain wave. Urging his men, he called out, “There is a big forest of plums ahead. The plums there are juicy and very sour. We can have a feast of sweet and sour plums to quench out thirst once we go over this hill.”

On hearing this, the soldiers started to salivate profusely. The very thought of sour plums made they mouth water. Their thirsts were temporarily quenched and with the morale greatly raised, they managed to continue to march forward.

From this story, people have derived the phrase “quenching thirst by watching plums” (望梅止渴) to refer to consoling oneself with hopes.

Given the enormous scope of the pre-school problem, raising the issue really makes the people think less of the present and more of the future. They will quench their thirst with imagery of the plums. Can you beat that?

[Dr. Wong Wee Nam stood for the National Solidarity Party in Hong Kah GRC at the 1997 General Election. He is presently an opposition supporter and activist. This posting is posted here with his kind written permission.]

My March 2010 interview with Dr. Wong can be read on this website at the following link: 

http://joochiatroadonline.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/interview-my-interview-with-dr-wong-wee.html

Dr Kieran James (left) and Dr Wong Wee Nam, SDP's 31st Anniversary Dinner, Fort Canning Park, 19 February 2011

NEWS: Letter to PM Mr Lee Hsien Loong from Patrick Low, 24 August 2017

Dear PM Mr Lee Hsien Loong,

Very soon you will be stepping down as Singapore's third Prime Minister. Let me ask you: "what kind of legacy would you like to bequeath to our country?"

National Unity I am sure is uppermost in your mind. But have you done enough on this score? If not what else can you do before you leave the stage?

The late Patrick Lee Song Juan celebrates LKY's exit from Cabinett

The birth of Singapore was under very tough and divisive conditions. The Left and the Right in their struggle to gain independence from the colonial master suffered painful and blightening experiences in their lives. Many lost their freedom and were incarcerated for years. Though the battle is over peace and reconciliation never did ensue.

Time should heal many things but time alone without statesmanship cannot bring about a real reconciliation among the people and the combatants.

Since more than half a century has elapsed after the epic struggle it behoves us, the ordinary sons of the soil, to remind you, the son of the Founding Father, that you still have an unfulfilled task to undertake and complete on behalf of your father because he failed to do it.

As a son it is not easy for you to step out of your father's shadow. But now that he is gone you must try.

Imagine the surprise and the joy you will bring to the nation if you were to say sorry and declare an amnesty for all political exiles including those very old people living on the Thai-Malaysian border who are dying to have their last wish honoured before they leave this temporal world. Instead of trying to prevent diabetes you can heal the long time wounds of so many freedom fighters inflicted during the independence struggle. Say sorry to them and make amends.

Tribute to Chia Thye Poh at old SDP Headquarters,

In your hands Mr. Lee lies the power to undo the wrongs of your father and his erstwhile comrades. You can reverse the trumped up charge of a Marxist conspiracy which arrested 22 young people back in 1987. Even your cabinet ministers found it difficult to swallow the toxic charges you used to cripple the idealism of young Singaporeans then. 30 years have passed and we are still waiting for the sorry word.

Shame on you!

The recent saga of the will of your father as it relates to 38 Oxley Road and the resulting in a public squabble whose rancour brought not only shame upon your family but also tarnished Singapore's reputation is something which you need to put right before you step down. So in your hands too lies the power to mend the rift within your own family before the poison spreads to the hearts and minds of unborn generations.

If you put your mind to it you know that you as the head of a sovereign nation have much to gain if you only have the courage to sweep the muck from your office and clear the decks for the next generation. Only then can you lay the groundwork for true national unity.

You have recruited some of the children of former political prisoners into your ranks. Good for you but does it not occur to you the soul wrenching exercise for these children of your former political opponents to put aside the past and step forward to serve the party and the nation.

If you are truly magnanimous, noble and not petty minded you can also step forward and declare an unconditional amnesty for all political exiles whether they be in London, Paris, Melbourne, Betong or Boston. In so doing you would go down in Singapore history as a peacemaker and not a nitpicker. National unity for our Motherland will be truly epic and unrivalled.

Singaporeans from the world over will truly rejoice and salute you for your courage and wisdom in taking such a big step forward.

Mr. Lee you know that national unity is not based solely on race, colour, and religion. It is also a function of social, economic, and class inequities. In this regard you can exert much greater effort to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Why not state your goals boldly and clearly and name a Scandinavian country that we can all emulate to while retaining our own uniquely Singaporean character? At the very least that is a vision that we can aspire to.

Your government keeps harping on about globalization and pseudo-meritocracy to praise and excuse yourself. Do you not know that these are the very forces which have produced Brexit and Trumpism?

You must be wary that once the political pendulum swings against you no-one will be able to put "humpty dumpty" together again.

The 5 factors of lumpen capitalism, class, cronyism, culture, and communication have inflicted heavy damage on American society over the last 24 years under Clinton, Bush, and Obama. They swept a seasoned politico Hilary aside and threw up an extremely unstable maverick disruptor called Donald J Trump. If this can happen in America it can happen to you too. In fact we came quite close to it in 2011 when the the first GRC of Aljunied was snatched from under your very nose and you scored the lowest electoral return for the PAP in decades.

The tipping point Mr. Lee is an unpredictable thing. But know ye that in a media savvy world once the rage erupts the ruling-class will have no place to hide. Once seen as a cosy selfish and self serving coterie divorced from the people it will be difficult to regain the trust and the mandate of the people.

Mr. Lee for you there is still time. But not much - 2 to 5 years at most because you have lost your zest and your health is not great and you are weary.

During the remaining time you have at the helm you must do your utmost to bequeath a true cultural revolution to the people.

Man does not live by bread alone and they live and die from multiple causes from cancer, stroke, diabetes to alzhiemers.

Your job as PM is not to advise us as the Chief Medical Doctor from SGH. Your job from the Istana is to helm and guide the ship of state through choppy waters to a better promised land.

Yours Sincerely,

Patrick Low.

OPINION: "Straight Instant Karma or Black Irony in the Lee Family Feud?" By Goh Meng Seng, 27 June 2016

Who would expect The Black Irony? By Goh Meng Seng, 27 June 2016.

Some call it Straight Instant Karma, some would just call it Black Irony.

"The dead are at the mercy of the living" - Jean-Paul Sartre, French existentialist philosopher (1905-1980).

Once a powerful man on the island, feared even by his own political minions in the party, has eventually suffered great humiliation and disrespect, only to become a puppet political tool for his own son and party to milk to the fullest.

Patrick Lee Song Juan (SDA) celebrates Mr Lee's resignation from cabinet

Who would imagine that such a great shrewd politician of his time, who was exceptionally street smart to milk the political capital of his contemporaries like Lim Chin Siong, would end up nothing more than a "sacred political cow" to be milked eternally by his own party, against his own will after his death?

Who would imagine that a ruthless politician like him, who locked up thousands of his detractors and dissidents, breaking their families and soul in solitary confinement, forcing many others to run road as well, would end up with the very machinery, or rather the Monster he created, instilling that same fear in his own son, forcing him to consider the Run Road option?

Who would expect a man who had undaunted will-power that created Singapore after his will and preferences, couldn't even get that little respect from the very party he created, to grant him that simple wish to demolish his own house?

Who would expect a man who had used his expertise in law, to create draconian laws which were deemed necessary for forceful land acquisition for urban renewal, could possibly end up at the end of this huge stick, to have his own Minister openly declare that his own house and property could be forcefully acquired by the government against his will?

Who would expect the mantra "for the greater National good", which he created to justify all bad policies against the people, be used against his will eventually?

Who would expect that a man renowned as the First among equals, top lawyer graduated with top grades from Cambridge, could be so blatantly insulted to be a senile fool who couldn't even understand this own Will he signed?

Mr Goh Meng Seng

Who would expect a man with such great mastery of words, twisting and turning his words just to get what he wanted, could be subjected to such Third class wordy abuse of twisting himself?

Who would expect a man who had preached about Confucianism all his life ended up with the filial piety concept being treated as trash while his children fought among themselves under his name?

For all his life, he diligently worked hard and created his dream system of semi dictatorship and Asian authoritarian rule, but in the end, he was so helplessly turned into the victim of his own pet monster, under the control of his own son.

For those who are in the system enjoying every bit of that power of tyranny, don't be too happy yet. What can happen to him, could well befall upon you one day.

That is Black Irony of the Day

[This post is shared with the kind written permission of Goh Meng Seng. Mr Goh is Secretary-General of the People's Power Party (PPP) and a former Secretary-General of the National Solidarity Party (NSP).]

OPINION: "Potential Defamation Unanswered", by Goh Meng Seng, 22 June 2017

Thought of the Day - Potential Defamation Unanswered, 22 June 2017, by Goh Meng Seng

It is really unusual for the PAP government, especially its Prime Minister and Ministers, to allow highly Defamatory allegations made without a hawkish response to sue the pants off of those who made it. This is especially so when such potentially Defamatory allegations are made by influential individuals in the society or its opponents in politics.

Mr Goh Meng Seng

Thus, many Singaporeans are puzzled why the current slate of Ministers and PM would allow LHY and LWL to continue their attacks, which are all potentially highly defamatory against PM Lee and his Ministers, to go unanswered.

Many PAP apologists may say that PM Lee didn't want to aggravate the situation by launching legal actions against his own siblings. But what about his Ministers? Does it mean that all along their reputation, which was valued by past defamation lawsuits to be worth hundreds of thousands and millions, has suddenly become valueless?

Of course, many Singaporeans were quickly reminded by some activists of what GCT and LKY had said: PAP Ministers must always defend their own reputation and integrity when they are defamed.

It is kind of ironic here to have LKY's own children break that mythical justification which was used against lots of past and present opposition members and activists.

Many people have asked: Why Why Why didn't PM Lee and his Ministers take legal actions against LWL and LHY?

Actually, LWL has unintentionally let the cat out of the bag. She mentioned that the very first joint statement with her brother LHY was supposed to be longer but was edited away by their LAWYERs. Why do they need lawyers to vet through their statement? Of course it is to make sure that the statement, when challenged, is defensible. This is especially so for the defamatory parts.

But yet, after their lawyers vetted their statement, it still carried a few explosive allegations which are potentially defamatory if found untrue.

It then means that their lawyers are satisfied that all the allegations made in that statement are fully backed up by solid evidence!

This is not the usual type of impromptu attacks we see on the internet. It is a carefully planned and executed attack launched by both LHY and LWL.

If you are observant enough, whenever PM Lee or his Ministers try to deny or rebut some of the allegations stated in the first joint statement, LHY will come up with rebuttal furnished and supported with "FACTS" and evidence, mostly from the huge archive of emails!

It really makes one wonder HOW MUCH EVIDENCE they have prepared before launching the joint statement!

Apparently, LHY and LWL are TAUNTING PM Lee or any of his Ministers to sue them by putting up very explosive allegations. They could provide evidence for rebuttal with such EASE each and everyday, putting PM Lee and his Ministers on a DRIP, literally speaking.

I believe they are prepared to throw the whole toilet bowl of evidence against any of them in court if they so decide to sue them. They might even have the ultimate NUKE in their arsenal of evidence which they reserve for the final assault if all else fails.

Thus, it is clear why PM Lee would choose to defend himself in Parliament, with the protection of immunity shield and a safe ground with his PAP MPs in dominance, rather than going to court to face his siblings.

But, as the Chinese saying goes, you can hide from the bad things for a short period of time, but you cannot hide from them forever.

Of course, there are people who think that LHL also has lots of incriminating evidence against his siblings which he may throw out during 3 July 2017. But it is unlikely that these are strong enough to withstand the scrutiny of the court of law, or else he would have challenged the validity of the Last Will straight away. Well, if that is so, a scorched earth battle will become inevitable in the end. There will be no winner, we will all be losers.

Afternote:

Just right after I posted this, LHY posted the EVIDENCE to substantiate his allegation of Ho Ching meddling in government!

[This post is shared with the kind written permission of Goh Meng Seng. Mr Goh is Secretary-General of the People's Power Party (PPP) and former Secretary-General of the National Solidarity Party (NSP).]