No liberal democracy, gay parades for S'pore

No liberal democracy, gay parades for S'pore SINGAPORE: The city-state must evolve into a more "inclusive" society but freewheeling democracy and gay-pride parades will not work, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said. "I don't think we are homophobic," Lee told the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore yesterday, adding he agreed with predecessor Goh Chok Tong that "homosexuals are people like you and me". "But there are some segments of Singaporeans who vehemently disagree with that (attitude), and we have to be aware of that," he said when asked about his policies on gays. Lee also said a westernstyle democratic system with various contending political parties would not work for Singapore, which has been ruled by the People's Action Party over the past 40 years. "I do not see a wester n model which you described in an idealised form as being the target that we want to aim for." "There are free elections and the electorate has given their confidence overwhelmingly to one party ? for a good reason because it is the party which has delivered." ? AFP