Four small opposition parties here — Singaporeans First, the Reform Party, People’s Power Party and Democratic Progressive Party — have decided to form an alliance to contest the next General Election (“Proposed alliance of smaller opposition parties to contest GE under single banner, other parties ‘can join anytime’”; Jan 5).

An alliance may sound ideal, but it may not work.

We do not need to look far. The Singapore Democratic Alliance, formed in 2001, was an attempt at a coalition among opposition parties. It began with four component parties, but only two remain.

Close to home, Malaysia’s ruling coalition has faced deep-seated infighting. 

It is hard for Singaporean voters to root for any alliance, unless it has a demonstrated record of success.

Singapore is too small for political alliances. Disputes within such groups due to conflicting ideologies can make a government fractious and weaken it.

How will Singaporeans be assured that there will not be conflicting or inconsistent priorities? 

In an alliance, component parties must reach compromises, but abandoning their longstanding ideologies could damage their reputations and cause fractures in the group.  

Before parties form alliances, they must ask themselves: What compromises are needed? To what extent will control be given up? How will their members handle these downsides? How will decisions be made?

To convince voters, a political alliance must be clear about what it hopes to achieve and spell out how it would overcome a cacophony of conflicting voices.

Do the parties in an alliance expect to form a government? Can they present a realistic manifesto to Singaporeans? Can voters expect parties in the alliance to deliver on their promises? When it comes to policy, are parties able to take the long view?

A dip in popularity may also spur some parties to defect in search of a populist advantage.  

Unless parties can prove their mettle, voters cannot take chances as squabbling between parties will erode public confidence in the political system and in our elected representatives.

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