Singapore’s present Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, has been in power since 2004 and as leader of the incumbent PAP party and the eldest son of Singapore’s founding father, he is likely to remain in the role.
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The expert also argues the upcoming vote will be “especially important” as it will not only demonstrate the growing strength of the opposition, but also “provide a stronger indication as to whether Singapore is moving away from a single-party towards a two-party or multi-party political system”.
“We need an opposing voice”, said Andrew Yeo, managing director of an advertising agency and an opposition supporter. So far the opposition parties have barely been able to make their voices heard.
All seats are being contested for the first time since independence and this vote is set to be Singapore’s landmark parliamentary election, with its impact to be felt not just immediately but for the next decade or two. From the day the PM announces the election and dissolves parliament, it is not allowed to publish any figures, thus making political forecasts increasingly hard.
It said: “Despite this being the first election in independent Singapore in which every seat is being contested, the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) will have no trouble winning majority, and thus forming the next government”.
“Singaporeans can reward these initial steps or ramp up the pressure on the government through their votes”, he said.
The PAP is synonymous with its charismatic and deeply respected leader Lee Kuan Yew, whose presence looms large over this election, the first to be held since his death in March. He was referring to Singapore’s 50th year of independence, celebrated last month. Asking the latter question risks a freak result: if enough voters cast ballots for the opposition in order to strengthen it, it may well end up in power.
Bus driver Ong Ah Guan, 53, has been turning up at various political rallies sporting a collection of flags of opposition parties.
“The WP has astutely stayed focused on the swing voters: the middle 50 percent who used to vote PAP still want the PAP in government, but also want more opposition as a check and balance”, said Cherian George, author of “Singapore: The Air-Conditioned Nation” and an associate professor at the department of journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University.
“If they really govern using integrity, then there is no need for an opposition”, said Veronica How, 27, a teacher.
But while Singapore’s block voting electoral system and the PAP’s enduring popularity all but guarantee his success, Lee faces many challenges. Yet he also knows that if this election goes badly for him, he risks losing authority within cabinet and being a “lame duck’ prime minister for the rest of his term, however long that might be”. The more casual Mr. Lee is frequently seen on Twitter or taking selfies at events, and even apologized for his party’s setbacks in the last election. “I think it’s not a joking matter”, he said. “But we will try better the next time”.
“It will be an indicator of whether Singapore’s evolution into a normal democracy is gaining speed or is the one-party dominance still resilient even in a post-Lee Kuan Yew era”, said observer Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University.
Such practices have resulted in calls on the PAP to create a more level playing field in politics.
The current make-up is 80-7, with all seven minority seats held by the Workers’ Party (WP). Its political manifesto includes proposals to nationalize the public transport network and to curb immigration rates.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s party will win the lion’s share of parliament’s 89 seats, no one doubts that.
Ultimately, this election is be about the relationship between the number of elected opposition MPs and the PAP government’s changes in policy and engagement of the electorate since the 2011 election.
“They will let the younger people do things their way simply because they have no choice”, Ms. Lim said.
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Former Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew.
