Singapore, May 3
Polling stations across Singapore opened at 8:00 a.m. (local time) on Saturday for the country's general election.
A total of 211 candidates, including two independents, are contesting the 97 elected parliamentary seats. Of these 97 seats, five in a multi-member constituency have already been secured by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), as no opposition candidates were fielded there.
The PAP, the ruling party since Singapore's independence in 1965, is fielding 97 candidates and contesting every seat. This election marks the first time Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is leading the party into a general election after succeeding Lee Hsien Loong in May 2024, following Lee's two-decade tenure, reports news agency.
In the 2020 general election, the PAP garnered 61.24 per cent of the popular vote, down from 69.86 per cent in 2015.
Beyond determining the makeup of the next parliament, the election will also influence the formation of Singapore's next cabinet, which will be responsible for steering the country through rising global uncertainty, particularly in the wake of sweeping US tariffs.
Both Wong and Lee have repeatedly warned that recent global developments could have lasting repercussions for Singapore's open economy.