Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
Voting for the general election, in Singapore is different this time. Amid coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout strict adherence to the safety measures are in place.
The small city state is one of a handful of countries to hold a vote during the pandemic so far. Voters were seen wearing gloves and masks and given timed voting slots. This made very few stay inside pooling booths.
Singapore has been one of the worst hit countries in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 45,000 cases. As large scale gatherings and events are deemed a high risk during the pandemic, only a few countries have gone ahead with national elections during the past months.
Singapore had initially been praised for keeping the virus in check until clusters in its migrant population dramatically drove up infection numbers.
Voters will elect Members of Parliament to the 14th Parliament of Singapore since Singapore’s independence in 1965, using the first-past-the-post electoral system. Voting is mandatory for all Singaporeans aged 21 or above as of 1 March 2020.
This election will be the 18th general election in Singapore. The ruling People’s Action Party is seeking to secure their 15th consecutive term in government since 1959. In all 192 candidates from 11 parties are contesting, the most ever in the history of Singapore, surpassing the record set from the 2015 election.
There were a record 40 female candidates. Two constituencies, Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC and Pioneer SMC, will see a three-cornered fight, with the former being the first multi-cornered contest inside a Group Representation Constituency since the 1992 Marine Parade by-election 28 years prior. This election also marks the second consecutive election not to have a walkover in any constituency.
South Korea voted in April while Serbia went to the polls in late June. In both countries, voters returned the incumbent government to power. Singapore has been ruled by the same party since independence – the People’s Action Party (PAP) – and it is widely expected to retain power.
A PAP win would carry current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to yet another term in office. The son of country’s founding father and long-time ruler Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee has been in office since 2004 – but has indicated the upcoming term would be his last.
Also Read : New bill may force Indians to leave the Gulf Country
Also Read : US moves to withdraw from the WHO
The government’s main contender is the Workers’ Party, which says the decision to hold the vote during the pandemic was aimed at undercutting its campaigning efforts.
As the overall outcome is little in doubt, Singapore elections are usually watched for even small shifts in the PAP’s performance. This time round, the main issues seen to be on voters’ minds are the government’s handling of the pandemic and the looming economic recession.
In terms of per capita cases, Singapore now ranks among the world’s worst affected countries although the death rate is low and almost all cases originate from within the foreign worker community living in dormitories.
Mobile polling teams are also taking ballot boxes to citizens who have recently returned from overseas and are in hotel quarantine.
