Parliamentary elections in Singapore
Encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections in Singapore must be held within three months after five years have elapsed from the date of the first sitting of a particular Parliament
of Singapore
. However, in most cases Parliament is dissolved and a general election called at the behest of the Prime Minister
before the five-year period elapses. The number of constituencies
or electoral divisions is not permanently fixed by law, but is declared by the Prime Minister prior to each general election pursuant to the , which governs the conduct of elections to Parliament, taking into account recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee. For the 2011 general election, there were 87 seats in Parliament organised into 12 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 15 Group Representation Constituencies
(GRCs). Each SMC returns one Member of Parliament
while each GRC returns between three and six MPs, at least one of whom must be from the Malay
, Indian or other minority communities. A group of persons wishing to stand for election in a GRC must all be members of the same political party, or a group of independent
candidates. The voting age
in Singapore is 21 years.
The election process begins when the President
, acting on Cabinet
's advice, issues a writ of election
addressed to the returning officer
. On nomination day, the returning officer and his or her representatives will be present at designated nomination centres between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon to receive prospective candidates' nomination papers, and political donation certificates certifying that they have complied with the requirements of the . A person intending to contest in a GRC as a minority candidate must also submit a certificate confirming that he or she is a person belonging to the Malay, Indian or some other minority community. In addition, between the date of the writ of election and 12:00 noon on nomination day, candidates must lodge with the returning officer a deposit equal to 8% of the total allowances payable to an MP in the preceding calendar year, rounded to the nearest $500. For the 2011 general election, the amount of the deposit was $16,000. At the close of the nomination period, where there is only one candidate in an SMC or one group of candidates in a GRC standing nominated, the election is uncontested and the returning officer will declare that the candidate has or the group of candidates have been elected. Where there is more than one candidate in an SMC or more than one group of candidates in a GRC, the election is adjourned for a poll to be taken. The returning officer issues a notice of contested election which states when polling day will be; and information such as the names of the candidates, their proposers and seconders, the symbols allocated to candidates which will be printed on ballot papers
, and the locations of polling stations.
Candidates can only mount election campaigns from after the close of nomination up to the day before the eve of polling day. No campaigning is permitted on the eve of polling day itself, which is known as "cooling-off day". Candidates can advertise on the Internet, conduct house-to-house visits, distribute pamphlets, put up banners and posters, and hold election rallies. Political parties fielding at least six candidates are allocated airtime for two pre-recorded party political broadcast
s on radio and television, one on the day following nomination day and the other on cooling-off day. The amount of airtime granted depends on the number of candidates each party is fielding. The maximum amount which a candidate or his or her election agent
can pay or incur for an election campaign is $3.50 for each elector in an SMC, or $3.50 for each elector divided by the number of candidates in the group standing for election in a GRC.
Polling day at a general election is a public holiday, and voting is compulsory. Unless the returning officer decides otherwise, polling stations are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Voters must go to the polling stations assigned to them. After the poll closes, the presiding officer of each polling station seals the ballot box
es without opening them. Candidates or their polling agents may also affix their own seals to the ballot boxes. The ballot boxes are then taken to counting centres to be opened and the ballots counted. A candidate or his counting agent
may ask the returning officer for a recount of votes if the difference between the number of votes for the candidate or group of candidates with the most votes and the number of votes of any other candidate or group of candidate is 2% or less, excluding rejected and tendered votes. After all counts, and recounts if any, have been completed, the returning officer ascertains whether the total number of electors registered to vote overseas is less than the difference between the number of votes for the two candidates with the highest number of votes. If so, the returning officer declares the candidate with the highest number of votes to be elected as President. If not, the returning officer states the number of votes cast for each candidate and the date and location where the overseas votes will be counted.
The most recent general election was held in 2011. The People's Action Party
was returned to power to form the Government
with 81 seats, while the Workers' Party of Singapore
secured six seats by winning in Aljunied GRC
and Hougang SMC
.
of Singapore
is unicameral
and consists of three types of Members of Parliament
: elected Members of Parliament (MPs), Non-constituency Members of Parliament
(NCMPs), and Nominated Members of Parliament
(NMPs). Of these, MPs are chosen by universal suffrage
or popular election under a "first-past-the-post" system, while NCMPs are chosen from among the candidates of political parties not forming the Government
.
The maximum duration of each Parliament is five years from the date of its first sitting. If Parliament has not been dissolved
before that period has elapsed, it is automatically dissolved by operation of law
. However, in most cases Parliament is dissolved and a general election called at the behest of the Prime Minister
, who is entitled to advise the President
to do so by a proclamation published in the Government Gazette. The President is not obliged to proclaim that Parliament is dissolved unless he is satisfied that the Prime Minister commands the confidence of a majority of MPs. Once Parliament has been dissolved, a general election must be held within three months.
The number of elected MPs and constituencies
or electoral divisions is not permanently fixed by law, but is declared by the Prime Minister prior to each general election pursuant to the Parliamentary Elections Act, which governs the conduct of elections to Parliament, taking into account recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee. For the purposes of the 2011 general election, there were 87 seats in Parliament organised into 12 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 15 Group Representation Constituencies
(GRCs). Each SMC returns one MP while each GRC returns between three and six MPs, at least one of whom must be from the Malay
, Indian or other minority communities. Two GRCs were designated as four-member wards, 11 as five-member wards, and two as six-member wards. Nine GRCs were designated as wards for which at least one member of the Malay community had to be fielded as a candidate, and six as wards for which at least one member of the Indian or some other minority community had to be fielded. A group of persons wishing to stand for election in a GRC must all be members of the same political party, or a group of independent
candidates.
Article 45 provides that persons are not qualified to be MPs if:
A person's disqualification for having failed to properly lodge a return of election expenses or having been convicted of an offence may be removed by the President. If the President has not done so, the disqualification ceases at the end of five years from the date on which the return was required to be lodged or, as the case may be, the date on which the person convicted was released from custody or the date on which the fine was imposed. In addition, a person is not disqualified for acquiring or exercising rights of foreign citizenship or declared allegiance to a foreign country if he or she did so before becoming a Singapore citizen.
A person is disqualified from having his or her name entered or retained in a register of electors if he or she:
A person is deemed to be ordinarily resident in Singapore on 1 January of a year if he or she has resided in Singapore for an aggregate of 30 days during the three years immediately preceding 1 January, even if he or she is not actually resident in Singapore on that date. However, such a person is not entitled to have his or her name entered or retained in any register of electors if:
The Prime Minister may from time to time, but not later than three years after the last general election, direct that the electoral registers be revised; and may, before a general election, require the registers to be brought up to date by reference to a particular year. After registers have been prepared or updated, they are made available for public inspection to enable people to submit claims to be included in registers or to raise objections concerning the inclusion of other people in the registers. After all claims and objections have been dealt with, the registers are certified as correct.
addressed to the returning officer
, who is the official responsible for overseeing the election. The writ
specifies the date when the nomination of candidates is to be taken (which must not be earlier than five days nor later than one month from the date of the writ), and the places of nomination.
The returning officer issues a notice stating that the writ of election has been issued by the President and stipulating the date, time and places for nomination of candidates, the documents that candidates must submit on nomination day, and the amount of the deposit that must be lodged. This notice must be issued at least four clear days before nomination day.
After the date of the writ of election and at least two clear days before nomination day, a candidate or prospective candidate must provide the Registrar of Political Donations with a report stating all the donations received from permissible donors that amount to at least $10,000 received during the 12 months preceding the declaration mentioned in the next sentence. He or she must also submit to the Registrar a declaration stating, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that he or she did not receive any other donations required to be mentioned in the donation report, and that only donations from permissible donors or allowable anonymous donations were accepted. If this paperwork is in order, the Registrar will issue a political donation certificate not later than the eve of nomination day stating that the candidate has complied with the provisions of the Act.
by the prospective candidate that he or she is qualified to be elected; and must be signed by a proposer, a seconder, and four or more persons as assentors, each of whom must be a person on the register of electors for the electoral division in which the person seeks election.
In addition, between the date of the writ of election and 12:00 noon on nomination day, candidates are required to lodge with the returning officer a deposit equal to 8% of the total allowances payable to an MP in the preceding calendar year, rounded to the nearest $500. The exact amount of the deposit is specified in the notice of the writ of election issued by the returning officer. For the 2011 general election, the amount of the deposit was $16,000. A candidate who subsequently polls more than one-eighth of the total number of valid votes in the electoral division he or she contests but who is not elected will have the deposit returned; otherwise, the deposit is forfeited and paid into the Consolidated Fund
(the Government's main bank account).
Nomination papers and certificates must be personally delivered to the returning officer in duplicate by the person seeking nomination. The person's proposer, seconder and at least four assentors must also be present in person. Each nomination paper is then posted outside the place of nomination; and candidates, their proposers, seconders, assentors and one other person appointed by each candidate to be present may examine the nomination papers of other candidates which have been received for that electoral division. Candidates may object to other candidates' nomination papers on the following grounds only:
The returning officer may himself or herself lodge objections. All objections must be made between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm on nomination day. The returning officer must then, with the least possible delay, decide on the validity of the objections made and inform candidates of his or her decision. If any objection is allowed, the grounds of the decision must be provided. The rejection of any objection is final and cannot be challenged in court, but any objections that are allowed may be reversed on application to an election judge.
Each candidate may only be nominated in one electoral division at a general election, and only nominated once in an electoral division. Multiple nominations are void.
At the close of the nomination period, where there is only one candidate in an SMC or one group of candidates in a GRC standing nominated, the election is uncontested and the returning officer will declare that the candidate has or the group of candidates have been elected. Where there is more than one candidate in an SMC or more than one group of candidates in a GRC, the election is adjourned for a poll to be taken. The returning officer issues a notice of contested election which states when polling day will be (which must not be earlier than the 10th day nor later than the 56th day after publication of the notice); and information such as the names of the candidates, their proposers and seconders, the symbols allocated to candidates which will be printed on ballot papers
, and the locations of polling stations.
. This person is legally responsible for the conduct of the candidate's political campaign
. In the case of a group of candidates contesting a GRC, a principal election agent must be appointed from among the candidates' election agents. Candidates may name themselves as their own election agents.
Election agents are required to appoint candidates' paid polling agent
s (persons who oversee polling at polling stations on behalf of candidates), clerks and messengers; hire committee rooms for the use of candidates; pay for expenses incurred for the conduct or management of the election; and receive money from third parties for election expenses.
The penalty for committing in illegal practice is a fine of up to $2,000. In addition, for three years from the date of conviction, the person convicted will be incapable of being registered as an elector, voting at any election, or being elected as the President or an MP. If, at the date of conviction, the person has been elected an MP, the election is vacated.
The following acts are corrupt practices:
The penalty for bribery, personation, treating and undue influence is a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment of up to three years or both. On conviction for making a false statement, a person is liable to be fined or imprisoned up to 12 months or both. In addition, a person convicted of a corrupt practice is incapable for a seven-year period of being registered as an elector, or voting at any election, being elected the President or an MP. If, on the date of conviction, a person has already been elected an MP, the election is vacated.
Two forms of political advertising on the Internet are permitted during election time. First, during the election period – that is, the period between the day the writ of election is issued and the start of polling day – political parties, candidates or election agents may use the Internet to further candidates' campaigns, including using websites, chat room
s or discussion forums
, video
and photograph sharing or hosting
websites, e-mail
, micro-blog posts
(such as Twitter), SMS and MMS
messages, digital audio
and video
files, electronic media applications, and blogs and social networking services (such as Facebook). Election advertising sent by e-mail, micro-blog post, SMS or MMS must contain a functioning e-mail address or mobile phone number to enable recipients to indicate that they do not wish to receive further messages from the sender.
However, the Internet may not be used to publish the following:
Secondly, when candidates wish to publish election advertising on the Internet during the campaign period – that is, the period from the closure of the place of nomination on nomination day after the election is adjourned to enable a poll to be taken, to the start of the eve of polling day – they must provide to the returning officer, within 12 hours after the start of the period, declarations containing information on all the online platforms the advertising has appeared on in that time. Subsequently, a similar declaration must be provided before election advertising is published on such platforms.
Individuals who are Singapore citizens may publish on the Internet material that amounts to election advertising without having to comply with the above regulations so long as they do so personally and not at the direction of another person or on that person's behalf, and do not receive any benefit for doing so.
The Films Act defines a party political film as a film "(a) which is an advertisement made by or on behalf of any political party in Singapore or any body whose objects relate wholly or mainly to politics in Singapore, or any branch of such party or body; or (b) which is made by any person and directed towards any political end in Singapore". A film is regarded as being "directed towards a political end in Singapore" if it:
In general, it is an offence to import, make or reproduce, distribute, or exhibit any party political film. The punishment for doing so is a fine of up to $100,000 or imprisonment of up to two years. However, a film is not regarded as a party political film if it is:
In addition, during the period starting with the day when the writ of election is issued and ending with the start of the eve of polling day, election campaign recordings are exempted from the requirement that films must be submitted for review by the Board of Film Censors, and may be published on and distributed through the Internet. Such recordings are unmodified live recordings of lawful performances, assemblies or processions held in connection with election activities which do not depict the proceedings in a dramatic way or consist of unscripted or "reality" type programmes.
Under content codes issued by the Media Development Authority
, political advertising is not permitted on radio or television. Instead the Authority arranges for pre-recorded party political broadcast
s to be made on radio and TV, one on the day after nomination day and the other on the eve of polling day. Only political parties fielding at least six candidates at an election are eligible to make a broadcast; independent candidates may not do so. Party political broadcasts must be delivered by candidates, and each broadcast must consist of a single script in each of the four official languages of Singapore: Malay
, Mandarin
, Tamil
and English. The duration of the permitted broadcast depends on the number of candidates each party is fielding, and ranges from two and a half minutes for a party fielding six or seven candidates, to 12 minutes for one fielding between 80 and 87 candidates. The number of candidates fielded also determines the order of broadcasts, with the broadcast of the party fielding the smallest number of candidates on first and that of the party fielding the largest number last.
Once nomination proceedings have ended on nomination day, the returning officer issues to each candidate, group of candidates or their election agents a permit authorising banners and posters to be displayed. The permit specifies the maximum number of banners and posters that may be displayed, any restrictions as to the places where or manner in which they must not be displayed, and the period after polling day within which they must be removed. All banners and posters must have a stamp bearing the returning officer's official mark on the bottom right-hand corner. They may not be displayed within 200 metres (656.2 ft) of any polling station or any shorter distance as the returning officer may specify. Among other things, it is an offence punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 12 months to alter, deface, destroy, obliterate or remove any banner or poster, or to display a banner or poster in such a way as to obscure any banner or poster already displayed.
All election advertising contained in printed documents must bear on their face or, if there is more than one side of printed matter, on the first or last pages, the names and addresses of their printers, publishers, and the persons for whom the advertising was published. Failure to comply with this requirement amounts to a corrupt practice and attracts a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months or both. In addition, a convicted person is subject to the disqualifications referred to earlier.
at the Police Elections Liaison Office in the Police Cantonment Complex
. The dates and venues for the meetings are fixed by the police, and candidates may apply for permits on a first-come-first-served basis the day before each meeting date. Although meetings can normally be held at Speakers' Corner
without applying for a police permit, this privilege does not apply during election periods.
into a "cooling-off day" on which no campaigning is permitted. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
justified the changes as enabling voters to think dispassionately about the candidates' stands on issues raised, and reducing the chance of public disorder. On the eve and on polling day itself, election advertising is prohibited, though the following activities remain unaffected:
Badges, favours, flags, rosettes, symbols, sets of colours, advertisements, handbills, placards, posters and replica voting papers may not be carried, worn, used or displayed by any person or on any vehicle as political propaganda, although candidates may wear replicas of the symbols allotted to them for election purposes. In addition, holding election meetings and canvassing are not permitted on the day before polling day and polling day itself. Canvassing
involves trying to persuade a person to vote or not to vote in a particular way, or visiting a voter for an election-related purpose at home or at his or her workplace. It is also an offence to exercise undue influence on any person at or near a polling station, for instance, by trying to find out the identity of any person entering a polling station, recording voters' particulars, and waiting outside or loitering within 200 metres (656.2 ft) of polling stations.
Voters receive poll card
s informing them of the polling stations where they can cast their votes in person. Polling day at a general election is a public holiday, and voting is compulsory. Unless the returning officer decides otherwise, polling stations are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm on polling day. To vote, voters must go to the polling stations assigned to them. Applying for a ballot paper or voting in the name of someone else, or attempting to vote more than once, amounts to the offence of personation
. If a person claiming to be a voter named in the electoral register turns up at a polling station after someone also claiming to be that voter has already voted, the second person is permitted to cast what is called a "tendered vote" using a ballot paper of a different colour after taking an oath to confirm his identity.
After the poll closes, the presiding officer of each polling station seals the ballot box
es without opening them. Candidates or their polling agent
s may also affix their own seals to the ballot boxes. The ballot boxes are then taken to counting centres to be opened and the ballots counted. According to the guidance issued to voters by the Elections Department, votes should be marked with a cross. However, even if this guidance is not followed, a vote is valid if the ballot paper clearly indicates the voter's intention and the candidate or group of candidates for whom he or she votes. A vote will be rejected by the returning officer as invalid if it:
The returning officer must show each ballot paper intended to be rejected to all candidates or their counting agents and hear their views, but makes the final decision as to whether the ballot paper should be rejected or not.
A candidate or his counting agent
may ask the returning officer for a recount of votes if the difference between the number of votes for the candidate or group of candidates with the most votes and the number of votes of any other candidate or group of candidate is 2% or less, excluding rejected and tendered votes. After all counts, and recounts if any, have been completed, the returning officer ascertains whether the total number of electors registered to vote overseas is less than the difference between the number of votes for the two candidates with the highest number of votes. If so, the returning officer declares the candidate with the highest number of votes to be elected as President. If not, the overseas votes may be decisive. The returning officer then states the number of votes cast for each candidate and the date and location where the overseas votes will be counted.
All officers, clerks, interpreters, candidates and candidates' agents at polling stations must maintain the secrecy of voting in stations. Before the poll is closed, they must not communicate to anyone the name of any elector who has or has not yet voted or his or her or identification number on the electoral register. They are prohibited from communicating information obtained during the counting of votes as to which candidate has been voted for in any particular ballot paper. Furthermore, no person is allowed to try and find out from within a polling station who a voter intends to vote for or has voted for, or to communicate with a voter after he has been given a ballot paper but before he has placed it in a ballot box.
The Chief Justice or a Supreme Court judge nominated by him acts as the election judge.
The applicant for an election to be avoided may ask for a declaration
that the election is void, that a particular candidate was wrongfully declared to have been elected, and/or that another candidate was duly elected. The applicant may also request for a scrutiny
– that is, a re-examination of the ballot papers – if he or she alleges that an unsuccessful candidate had a majority of lawful votes. When a scrutiny is conducted, the election judge may order a vote to be struck off if the voter was not on the register of electors assigned to the polling station at which the vote was recorded or was not authorised to vote at the station; if the vote was obtained by bribery, treating or undue influence; if the voter committed or induced someone to commit the offence of personation
; if the voter cast a vote at a general election in more than one electoral division; and if the vote was for a disqualified candidate and the disqualification was either a matter that the voter was aware of or was sufficiently publicised or widely known. During a scrutiny, a tendered vote that is shown to be valid will be added to the poll if any party to the proceedings asks for the vote to be added. On the other hand, a registered elector's vote will not be struck off at a scrutiny just because he was not qualified to be on the electoral register, and the returning officer's decision as to whether or not a ballot paper should be rejected may not be questioned.
The election judge is empowered to exempt from being an illegal practice any particular act or omission by a candidate, his election agents or any other agent or person in paying a sum, incurring an expense or entering into a contract if it was done in good faith
and was due to inadvertence, accidental miscalculation or the like. Similarly, the judge may make an order allowing an authorised excuse for a failure to file a proper return or declaration relating to election expenses if the candidate or his principal election agent shows that he acted in good faith and that there is a reasonable explanation for the shortcoming such as his inadvertence or illness, or the absence, death, illness or misconduct of some other agent, clerk or officer. In particular, the judge may relieve a candidate from the consequences of an act or omission by his principal election agent if he did not sanction or connive in it and took all reasonable means to prevent it.
The election judge certifies his decision, which is final, to the President. The judge must also report to the President whether any corrupt or illegal practice was established to have been committed by or with the knowledge and consent of any candidate or his agent. If a judge intends to report a person who was neither a party to the proceedings nor a candidate claiming he should have been declared elected, that person must be given an opportunity to be heard and to give and call evidence to show why a report should not be made against him. However, where a candidate's agents are found to have been guilty of treating, undue influence or an illegal practice, but the candidate proves that the offences were committed contrary to his orders and without his or his election agents' sanction or connivance, that all reasonable means were taken to prevent corrupt and illegal practices at the election, that the offences were of a trivial and limited nature, and in other respects the election was free from corrupt or illegal practice, the election is not void.
Depending on whether the judge has determined that the election was valid or void, the election return is confirmed or altered. If the election is declared void, the President is empowered to order that another election be held in the electoral division concerned within one month of the determination. If the election of one MP in a GRC is determined to be void, the election of the other MPs for that constituency is also void.
and became known as the State of Singapore. For the first time, Singapore had a fully elected Legislative Assembly
. At the 1959 general election held on 30 May that year to give effect to the new constitution, the People's Action Party
(PAP) led by Lee Kuan Yew
swept into power with 43 out of 51 seats in the Assembly. Since then, the PAP has retained power and formed the Government
through successive elections, and Singapore's merger with Malaysia
in 1963 and full independence in 1965. In the 1968 general election
, the PAP was returned unopposed in all except seven of the 58 constituencies, and won the remaining seats with 84% of the popular vote. Thereafter, every seat in Parliament was held by a PAP MP until Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
of the Workers' Party of Singapore
won a 1981 by-election
in the Anson constituency. Jeyaretnam retained his seat at the following general election in 1984
, at which Chiam See Tong
of the Singapore Democratic Party
was also elected as representative of Potong Pasir
. Between 1984 and 2011, the number of elected parliamentary seats held by opposition parties fluctuated between one (after the 1988 election
) and four (1991 election
).
The PAP's share of the vote fell to its lowest since 1965 at the latest general election in 2011, where it was 60.1%. For the first time, an opposition party – the Workers' Party – captured a GRC. It ended up securing one seat through Hougang SMC
and five through Aljunied GRC
, limiting the PAP's majority to 81 out of 87 seats.
Parliament of Singapore
The Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. However, in most cases Parliament is dissolved and a general election called at the behest of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Singapore
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs.The office of Prime Minister...
before the five-year period elapses. The number of constituencies
Constituencies of Singapore
Constituencies in Singapore are electoral divisions which may be represented by single or multiple seats in the Parliament of Singapore. Constituencies are classified as either single member or group representation constituencies...
or electoral divisions is not permanently fixed by law, but is declared by the Prime Minister prior to each general election pursuant to the , which governs the conduct of elections to Parliament, taking into account recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee. For the 2011 general election, there were 87 seats in Parliament organised into 12 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 15 Group Representation Constituencies
Group Representation Constituency
A Group Representation Constituency is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore, the Members of Parliament of which are voted into Parliament as a group...
(GRCs). Each SMC returns one Member of Parliament
Members of the Singapore Parliament
The following is a historical list of members for the current and past ten Parliaments of Singapore:-See also:*1st Parliament of Singapore*2nd Parliament of Singapore*3rd Parliament of Singapore*4th Parliament of Singapore*5th Parliament of Singapore...
while each GRC returns between three and six MPs, at least one of whom must be from the Malay
Malays in Singapore
Malays in Singapore are defined by the Singaporean government using the broader and antiquated "Malay race" concept, rather than modern-day Malay ethnic group. Although Malays have inhabited the area that is now Singapore since the 17th century, most of the Malays in Singapore today are immigrants...
, Indian or other minority communities. A group of persons wishing to stand for election in a GRC must all be members of the same political party, or a group of independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidates. The voting age
Voting age
A voting age is a minimum age established by law that a person must attain to be eligible to vote in a public election.The vast majority of countries in the world have established a voting age. Most governments consider that those of any age lower than the chosen threshold lack the necessary...
in Singapore is 21 years.
The election process begins when the President
President of Singapore
The President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
, acting on Cabinet
Cabinet of Singapore
The Cabinet of Singapore forms the Government of Singapore together with the President of Singapore. It is led by the Prime Minister of Singapore who is the head of government...
's advice, issues a writ of election
Writ of election
A writ of election is a writ issued by the government ordering the holding of a special election for a political office.In the United Kingdom and in Canada, this is the only way of holding an election for the House of Commons...
addressed to the returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
. On nomination day, the returning officer and his or her representatives will be present at designated nomination centres between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon to receive prospective candidates' nomination papers, and political donation certificates certifying that they have complied with the requirements of the . A person intending to contest in a GRC as a minority candidate must also submit a certificate confirming that he or she is a person belonging to the Malay, Indian or some other minority community. In addition, between the date of the writ of election and 12:00 noon on nomination day, candidates must lodge with the returning officer a deposit equal to 8% of the total allowances payable to an MP in the preceding calendar year, rounded to the nearest $500. For the 2011 general election, the amount of the deposit was $16,000. At the close of the nomination period, where there is only one candidate in an SMC or one group of candidates in a GRC standing nominated, the election is uncontested and the returning officer will declare that the candidate has or the group of candidates have been elected. Where there is more than one candidate in an SMC or more than one group of candidates in a GRC, the election is adjourned for a poll to be taken. The returning officer issues a notice of contested election which states when polling day will be; and information such as the names of the candidates, their proposers and seconders, the symbols allocated to candidates which will be printed on ballot papers
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
, and the locations of polling stations.
Candidates can only mount election campaigns from after the close of nomination up to the day before the eve of polling day. No campaigning is permitted on the eve of polling day itself, which is known as "cooling-off day". Candidates can advertise on the Internet, conduct house-to-house visits, distribute pamphlets, put up banners and posters, and hold election rallies. Political parties fielding at least six candidates are allocated airtime for two pre-recorded party political broadcast
Party political broadcast
A party political broadcast is a short television or radio broadcast made by a political party....
s on radio and television, one on the day following nomination day and the other on cooling-off day. The amount of airtime granted depends on the number of candidates each party is fielding. The maximum amount which a candidate or his or her election agent
Election agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
can pay or incur for an election campaign is $3.50 for each elector in an SMC, or $3.50 for each elector divided by the number of candidates in the group standing for election in a GRC.
Polling day at a general election is a public holiday, and voting is compulsory. Unless the returning officer decides otherwise, polling stations are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Voters must go to the polling stations assigned to them. After the poll closes, the presiding officer of each polling station seals the ballot box
Ballot box
A ballot box is a temporarily sealed container, usually square box though sometimes a tamper resistant bag, with a narrow slot in the top sufficient to accept a ballot paper in an election but which prevents anyone from accessing the votes cast until the close of the voting period...
es without opening them. Candidates or their polling agents may also affix their own seals to the ballot boxes. The ballot boxes are then taken to counting centres to be opened and the ballots counted. A candidate or his counting agent
Counting agent
A counting agent is appointed by either the candidate standing for election or the candidate's election agent to oversee the counting at the election count.Counting agents are only seen as part of elections in the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth...
may ask the returning officer for a recount of votes if the difference between the number of votes for the candidate or group of candidates with the most votes and the number of votes of any other candidate or group of candidate is 2% or less, excluding rejected and tendered votes. After all counts, and recounts if any, have been completed, the returning officer ascertains whether the total number of electors registered to vote overseas is less than the difference between the number of votes for the two candidates with the highest number of votes. If so, the returning officer declares the candidate with the highest number of votes to be elected as President. If not, the returning officer states the number of votes cast for each candidate and the date and location where the overseas votes will be counted.
The most recent general election was held in 2011. The People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
was returned to power to form the Government
Government of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
with 81 seats, while the Workers' Party of Singapore
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
secured six seats by winning in Aljunied GRC
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied...
and Hougang SMC
Hougang Single Member Constituency
Hougang Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency whose borders roughly enclose the town of Hougang, located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The boundary includes a portion of Hougang and is an opposition held seat with its Member of Parliament the Workers' Party's Yaw...
.
Composition and term of Parliament
The ParliamentParliament of Singapore
The Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
is unicameral
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
and consists of three types of Members of Parliament
Members of the Singapore Parliament
The following is a historical list of members for the current and past ten Parliaments of Singapore:-See also:*1st Parliament of Singapore*2nd Parliament of Singapore*3rd Parliament of Singapore*4th Parliament of Singapore*5th Parliament of Singapore...
: elected Members of Parliament (MPs), Non-constituency Members of Parliament
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
Non-Constituency Members of Parliament are members of the opposition parties who are appointed as members of the Parliament of Singapore even though they had lost in the parliamentary election....
(NCMPs), and Nominated Members of Parliament
Nominated Member of Parliament
A Nominated Member of Parliament is a Member of the Parliament of Singapore who is appointed instead of being elected into office by the people, and who does not belong to any political party or represent any constituency. There are currently nine NMPs in Parliament...
(NMPs). Of these, MPs are chosen by universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
or popular election under a "first-past-the-post" system, while NCMPs are chosen from among the candidates of political parties not forming the Government
Government of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
.
The maximum duration of each Parliament is five years from the date of its first sitting. If Parliament has not been dissolved
Dissolution of parliament
In parliamentary systems, a dissolution of parliament is the dispersal of a legislature at the call of an election.Usually there is a maximum length of a legislature, and a dissolution must happen before the maximum time...
before that period has elapsed, it is automatically dissolved by operation of law
Operation of law
The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies without a will, his heirs are determined by operation...
. However, in most cases Parliament is dissolved and a general election called at the behest of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Singapore
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs.The office of Prime Minister...
, who is entitled to advise the President
President of Singapore
The President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
to do so by a proclamation published in the Government Gazette. The President is not obliged to proclaim that Parliament is dissolved unless he is satisfied that the Prime Minister commands the confidence of a majority of MPs. Once Parliament has been dissolved, a general election must be held within three months.
The number of elected MPs and constituencies
Constituencies of Singapore
Constituencies in Singapore are electoral divisions which may be represented by single or multiple seats in the Parliament of Singapore. Constituencies are classified as either single member or group representation constituencies...
or electoral divisions is not permanently fixed by law, but is declared by the Prime Minister prior to each general election pursuant to the Parliamentary Elections Act, which governs the conduct of elections to Parliament, taking into account recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee. For the purposes of the 2011 general election, there were 87 seats in Parliament organised into 12 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 15 Group Representation Constituencies
Group Representation Constituency
A Group Representation Constituency is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore, the Members of Parliament of which are voted into Parliament as a group...
(GRCs). Each SMC returns one MP while each GRC returns between three and six MPs, at least one of whom must be from the Malay
Malays in Singapore
Malays in Singapore are defined by the Singaporean government using the broader and antiquated "Malay race" concept, rather than modern-day Malay ethnic group. Although Malays have inhabited the area that is now Singapore since the 17th century, most of the Malays in Singapore today are immigrants...
, Indian or other minority communities. Two GRCs were designated as four-member wards, 11 as five-member wards, and two as six-member wards. Nine GRCs were designated as wards for which at least one member of the Malay community had to be fielded as a candidate, and six as wards for which at least one member of the Indian or some other minority community had to be fielded. A group of persons wishing to stand for election in a GRC must all be members of the same political party, or a group of independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidates.
Qualifications for Parliamentary candidates
Persons are qualified to be elected or appointed as MPs if:- they are Singapore citizensSingaporean nationality lawSingaporean nationality law is derived from the Constitution of Singapore and is based on jus sanguinis and a modified form of jus soli...
; - they are 21 years of age or above on the day of nomination for election;
- their names appear in a current register of electors;
- they are resident in Singapore at the date of nomination and have been so resident for an aggregate period of not less than ten years before that date;
- they are able, with a degree of proficiency sufficient to enable them to take an active part in Parliamentary proceedings, to speak and, unless incapacitated by blindness or some other physical cause, to read and write at least one of the following languages: English, MalayMalay languageMalay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, MandarinStandard MandarinStandard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
and TamilTamil languageTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
; and - they are not otherwise disqualified from being MPs under Article 45 of the Constitution.
Article 45 provides that persons are not qualified to be MPs if:
- they are and have been found or declared to be of unsound mind;
- they are undischarged bankruptsBankruptcyBankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
; - they hold offices of profitOffice of profitAn office of profit is a term used in a number of national constitutions to refer to executive appointments. A number of countries forbid members of the legislature from accepting an office of profit under the executive as a means to secure the independence of the legislature and preserve the...
; - having been nominated for election to Parliament or the office of President or having acted as election agentElection agentIn elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
to a person so nominated, they have failed to lodge any return of election expenses required by law within the time and in the manner required; - they have been convicted of an offence by a court of law in SingaporeJudicial system of SingaporeThe full Judicial power in Singapore is vested in the Supreme Court as well as subordinate courts by the Constitution of Singapore. The Supreme Court consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court. The Court of Appeal exercises appellate criminal and civil jurisdiction, while the High Court...
or Malaysia and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year or to a fine of not less than S$Singapore dollarThe Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
2,000 and have not received a free pardonPardonClemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
; - they have voluntarily acquired the citizenship of, or exercised rights of citizenship in, a foreign country or has made a declaration of allegiance to a foreign country; or
- they are disqualified under any law relating to offences in connection with elections to Parliament or the office of President by reason of having been convicted of such an offence or having in proceedings relating to such an election been proved guilty of an act constituting such an offence.
A person's disqualification for having failed to properly lodge a return of election expenses or having been convicted of an offence may be removed by the President. If the President has not done so, the disqualification ceases at the end of five years from the date on which the return was required to be lodged or, as the case may be, the date on which the person convicted was released from custody or the date on which the fine was imposed. In addition, a person is not disqualified for acquiring or exercising rights of foreign citizenship or declared allegiance to a foreign country if he or she did so before becoming a Singapore citizen.
Electors
To be eligible to vote in a parliamentary election in a particular year, a person's name must appear in a certified register of electors of that year. A register of electors is prepared for each electoral division in Singapore. A person is entitled to have his or her name entered or retained in an electoral register of a certain year if on 1 January of that year he or she is a Singapore citizen who is ordinarily resident in Singapore, is not less than 21 years old, and is not subject to any disqualifications. A person not resident in Singapore but entitled to have his or her name entered or retained in a register of electors for a particular electoral division may apply to be registered as an overseas elector any time before a writ of election is issued for any election in that division.A person is disqualified from having his or her name entered or retained in a register of electors if he or she:
- has done any of the following:
- acquired or applied to acquire the citizenship of a country outside Singapore by registration, naturalisation or other voluntary and formal act other than marriage;
- voluntarily claimed and exercised rights available under the law of a country outside Singapore which are enjoyed exclusively by citizens or nationals of that country, except the use of a foreign passport;
- taken any oathOathAn oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
or made any declaration or acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to any foreign power or state; or - applied to the authorities of a place outside Singapore for the issue or renewal of a passport or used a passport issued by such authorities as a travel document;
- is serving a sentence of imprisonment imposed by any court in or outside Singapore for an offence punishable with imprisonment of more than 12 months; or has been sentenced to death by such a court or is serving a term of imprisonment in lieu of a death sentence;
- is found or declared to be of unsound mind under any written law;
- has been convicted of a corrupt or illegal practice under the PEA or the Presidential Elections Act, or an election judge reports that he or she has committed a corrupt or illegal practice;
- is a serving member on full pay of any naval, military or air force not maintained out of moneys provided by Parliament, unless he or she is domiciledDomicile (law)In law, domicile is the status or attribution of being a permanent resident in a particular jurisdiction. A person can remain domiciled in a jurisdiction even after they have left it, if they have maintained sufficient links with that jurisdiction or have not displayed an intention to leave...
(permanently resident) in Singapore; or - is a person whose name has been expunged from the register or the register of electors under the Presidential Elections Act, and who has not yet had his or her name restored to the register.
A person is deemed to be ordinarily resident in Singapore on 1 January of a year if he or she has resided in Singapore for an aggregate of 30 days during the three years immediately preceding 1 January, even if he or she is not actually resident in Singapore on that date. However, such a person is not entitled to have his or her name entered or retained in any register of electors if:
- he or she is serving a sentence of imprisonment in any prison, jail or other place of detention outside Singapore; or
- there is in force against him or her a warrant of arrestArrest warrantAn arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
issued by a Singapore court because he or she has been accused or convicted by a Singapore court of an offence against any written law punishable with more than 12 months' imprisonment.
The Prime Minister may from time to time, but not later than three years after the last general election, direct that the electoral registers be revised; and may, before a general election, require the registers to be brought up to date by reference to a particular year. After registers have been prepared or updated, they are made available for public inspection to enable people to submit claims to be included in registers or to raise objections concerning the inclusion of other people in the registers. After all claims and objections have been dealt with, the registers are certified as correct.
Issuance of writ of election
The election process begins when the President, acting on Cabinet's advice, issues a writ of electionWrit of election
A writ of election is a writ issued by the government ordering the holding of a special election for a political office.In the United Kingdom and in Canada, this is the only way of holding an election for the House of Commons...
addressed to the returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
, who is the official responsible for overseeing the election. The writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
specifies the date when the nomination of candidates is to be taken (which must not be earlier than five days nor later than one month from the date of the writ), and the places of nomination.
The returning officer issues a notice stating that the writ of election has been issued by the President and stipulating the date, time and places for nomination of candidates, the documents that candidates must submit on nomination day, and the amount of the deposit that must be lodged. This notice must be issued at least four clear days before nomination day.
Application for minority certificate
Any person who wishes to participate in an election as a minority candidate in a GRC must, after the date of notice of the writ of election and at least two clear days before nomination day, apply to the Malay Community Committee or the Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee for a certificate stating that he or she is a person belonging to the Malay, Indian or some other minority community. Certificates to this effect will be issued by the respective committees not later than the day before nomination day.Political donations
Under the Political Donations Act, candidates for parliamentary elections may only receive political donations from Singapore citizens who are at least 21 years old, or Singapore-controlled companies which carry on business wholly or mainly in Singapore. The receipt of anonymous donations is prohibited, except for anonymous donations totalling less than $5,000 received during a period starting with the date 12 months before the date when the candidate makes the declaration referred to below and ending with nomination day.After the date of the writ of election and at least two clear days before nomination day, a candidate or prospective candidate must provide the Registrar of Political Donations with a report stating all the donations received from permissible donors that amount to at least $10,000 received during the 12 months preceding the declaration mentioned in the next sentence. He or she must also submit to the Registrar a declaration stating, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that he or she did not receive any other donations required to be mentioned in the donation report, and that only donations from permissible donors or allowable anonymous donations were accepted. If this paperwork is in order, the Registrar will issue a political donation certificate not later than the eve of nomination day stating that the candidate has complied with the provisions of the Act.
Nomination
On nomination day, the returning officer and his or her representatives will be present at designated nomination centres between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon to receive prospective candidates' nomination papers, political donation certificates, and minority certificates (if required). Each nomination paper must contain a statement signed by the prospective candidate that he or she consents to the nomination; must include a statutory declarationStatutory declaration
A statutory declaration is a legal document defined under the law of certain Commonwealth nations. It is similar to a statement made under oath, however, it is not sworn....
by the prospective candidate that he or she is qualified to be elected; and must be signed by a proposer, a seconder, and four or more persons as assentors, each of whom must be a person on the register of electors for the electoral division in which the person seeks election.
In addition, between the date of the writ of election and 12:00 noon on nomination day, candidates are required to lodge with the returning officer a deposit equal to 8% of the total allowances payable to an MP in the preceding calendar year, rounded to the nearest $500. The exact amount of the deposit is specified in the notice of the writ of election issued by the returning officer. For the 2011 general election, the amount of the deposit was $16,000. A candidate who subsequently polls more than one-eighth of the total number of valid votes in the electoral division he or she contests but who is not elected will have the deposit returned; otherwise, the deposit is forfeited and paid into the Consolidated Fund
Consolidated Fund
Consolidated Fund or the Consolidated Revenue Fund is the term used for the main bank account of the government in many of the countries in the Commonwealth of Nations.-Establishment:...
(the Government's main bank account).
Nomination papers and certificates must be personally delivered to the returning officer in duplicate by the person seeking nomination. The person's proposer, seconder and at least four assentors must also be present in person. Each nomination paper is then posted outside the place of nomination; and candidates, their proposers, seconders, assentors and one other person appointed by each candidate to be present may examine the nomination papers of other candidates which have been received for that electoral division. Candidates may object to other candidates' nomination papers on the following grounds only:
- the description of the candidate is insufficient to identify him or her;
- the nomination paper does not comply with or was not delivered in accordance with the requirements of the law;
- it is apparent from the contents of the nomination paper that the candidate is not capable of being elected an MP;
- the requirements for elections in a GRC have not been complied with (for instance, the candidates are not all from the same political party or there is no minority candidate); and/or
- that a candidate has not lodged the required deposit.
The returning officer may himself or herself lodge objections. All objections must be made between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm on nomination day. The returning officer must then, with the least possible delay, decide on the validity of the objections made and inform candidates of his or her decision. If any objection is allowed, the grounds of the decision must be provided. The rejection of any objection is final and cannot be challenged in court, but any objections that are allowed may be reversed on application to an election judge.
Each candidate may only be nominated in one electoral division at a general election, and only nominated once in an electoral division. Multiple nominations are void.
At the close of the nomination period, where there is only one candidate in an SMC or one group of candidates in a GRC standing nominated, the election is uncontested and the returning officer will declare that the candidate has or the group of candidates have been elected. Where there is more than one candidate in an SMC or more than one group of candidates in a GRC, the election is adjourned for a poll to be taken. The returning officer issues a notice of contested election which states when polling day will be (which must not be earlier than the 10th day nor later than the 56th day after publication of the notice); and information such as the names of the candidates, their proposers and seconders, the symbols allocated to candidates which will be printed on ballot papers
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
, and the locations of polling stations.
Election agents
On or before nomination day, every candidate must declare to the returning officer the name of one person who will act as his or her election agentElection agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
. This person is legally responsible for the conduct of the candidate's political campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
. In the case of a group of candidates contesting a GRC, a principal election agent must be appointed from among the candidates' election agents. Candidates may name themselves as their own election agents.
Election agents are required to appoint candidates' paid polling agent
Polling agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, a polling agent is someone appointed by either the election agent of a candidate standing for election, or where there is no election agent the candidate personally, to oversee polling at the election count....
s (persons who oversee polling at polling stations on behalf of candidates), clerks and messengers; hire committee rooms for the use of candidates; pay for expenses incurred for the conduct or management of the election; and receive money from third parties for election expenses.
Election expenses, and illegal and corrupt practices
The maximum amount which a candidate or his or her election agent can pay or incur for an election campaign is $3.50 for each elector in an SMC, or $3.50 for each elector divided by the number of candidates in the group standing for election in a GRC. The following expenses are illegal practices:- Paying to bring voters to or from the poll, except if certain voters need to cross the sea or a river to reach a polling station.
- Letting, lending, employing, hiring or borrowing a motor vehicle to bring voters to or from the poll.
- Paying any voter for the use of a house, land, building or premises for exhibiting any address, bill or notice, unless that voter's ordinary business is that of an advertising agent.
The penalty for committing in illegal practice is a fine of up to $2,000. In addition, for three years from the date of conviction, the person convicted will be incapable of being registered as an elector, voting at any election, or being elected as the President or an MP. If, at the date of conviction, the person has been elected an MP, the election is vacated.
The following acts are corrupt practices:
- Bribery. Committing an act of bribery involves doing any one of a number of acts to induce a person to vote or refrain from voting or to reward him or her for having done so, such as giving or lending money; and giving or procuring an office or employment. It is also bribery for a person to procure or promise to procure that a voter exercise his or her vote in a certain way or that a candidate be elected as an MP in return for some inducement; to give money to someone else, knowing that he or she will use the money for bribery at an election; to accept an inducement for voting or not voting or agreeing to do so; and to induce a person to consent to being nominated as a candidate, or refrain or withdraw from being a candidate in return for some inducement.
- False statements. It is an offence to make or publish, before or during an election for the purpose of affecting the return of a candidate, any false statement of fact relating to the personal character or conduct of the candidate; or, in order to promote or procure the election of a particular candidate, to make any false statement about the withdrawal of another candidate.
- Personation. PersonationPersonationPersonation is a term used in law for the specific kind of voter fraud where an individual votes in an election, whilst pretending to be a different elector....
is committed when a person applies for a ballot paper in the name of some other person, whether living, dead or fictitious; or, having already voted at an election, applies for another ballot paper to vote again. - Treating. TreatingTreatingTreating, in law, is the act of serving food, drink, and other refreshments as a method of influencing people for political gain. In various countries, treating is considered a form of corruption, and is illegal as such....
is corruptly giving or providing, or paying in whole or part for, any food, drink, refreshment, cigarette, entertainment or other thing, or any money or ticket or other means to enable such things to be obtained, in order to corruptly influence a person to vote or refrain from voting, or to induce the person to attend an election meeting or reward him or her for having done so. - Undue influence. When a person makes use of or threatens to make use of force, violence or restraint, or inflicts or threatens to inflict temporal or spiritual injury, damage, harm or loss on a person to induce him or her to vote or refrain from voting, or to punish him or her for having done so; or uses abduction, duress or some fraudulent scheme to impede or prevent a person's free exercise of his or her vote, or to compel or induce him or her to vote or refrain from voting, this amounts to the offence of undue influence.
The penalty for bribery, personation, treating and undue influence is a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment of up to three years or both. On conviction for making a false statement, a person is liable to be fined or imprisoned up to 12 months or both. In addition, a person convicted of a corrupt practice is incapable for a seven-year period of being registered as an elector, or voting at any election, being elected the President or an MP. If, on the date of conviction, a person has already been elected an MP, the election is vacated.
Internet advertising
Two forms of political advertising on the Internet are permitted during election time. First, during the election period – that is, the period between the day the writ of election is issued and the start of polling day – political parties, candidates or election agents may use the Internet to further candidates' campaigns, including using websites, chat room
Chat room
The term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
s or discussion forums
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
, video
Video hosting service
A video hosting service allows individuals to upload video clips to an Internet website. The video host will then store the video on its server, and show the individual different types of code to allow others to view this video...
and photograph sharing or hosting
Image hosting service
An image hosting service allows individuals to upload images to an Internet website. The image host will then store the image onto its server, and show the individual different types of code to allow others to view that image....
websites, e-mail
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
, micro-blog posts
Microblogging
Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size...
(such as Twitter), SMS and MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service
Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS capability that allowed exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length.The most popular use is to send photographs from...
messages, digital audio
Digital audio
Digital audio is sound reproduction using pulse-code modulation and digital signals. Digital audio systems include analog-to-digital conversion , digital-to-analog conversion , digital storage, processing and transmission components...
and video
Digital video
Digital video is a type of digital recording system that works by using a digital rather than an analog video signal.The terms camera, video camera, and camcorder are used interchangeably in this article.- History :...
files, electronic media applications, and blogs and social networking services (such as Facebook). Election advertising sent by e-mail, micro-blog post, SMS or MMS must contain a functioning e-mail address or mobile phone number to enable recipients to indicate that they do not wish to receive further messages from the sender.
However, the Internet may not be used to publish the following:
- Election surveys, defined as opinion surveys of how electors will vote at an election, or of the preferences of electors concerning any candidate or group of candidates or any political party or issue with which an identifiable candidate or group of candidates is associated at an election.
- Appeals for money or other property in association with a representation that it will be applied for the objects or activities of any political party or for the promotion of any candidate or group of candidates.
- Any facility enabling members of the public to search for unlawful election advertising.
- Party political films not permitted by the Films Act.
Secondly, when candidates wish to publish election advertising on the Internet during the campaign period – that is, the period from the closure of the place of nomination on nomination day after the election is adjourned to enable a poll to be taken, to the start of the eve of polling day – they must provide to the returning officer, within 12 hours after the start of the period, declarations containing information on all the online platforms the advertising has appeared on in that time. Subsequently, a similar declaration must be provided before election advertising is published on such platforms.
Individuals who are Singapore citizens may publish on the Internet material that amounts to election advertising without having to comply with the above regulations so long as they do so personally and not at the direction of another person or on that person's behalf, and do not receive any benefit for doing so.
Political films and broadcasts, and campaign recordings
The Films Act defines a party political film as a film "(a) which is an advertisement made by or on behalf of any political party in Singapore or any body whose objects relate wholly or mainly to politics in Singapore, or any branch of such party or body; or (b) which is made by any person and directed towards any political end in Singapore". A film is regarded as being "directed towards a political end in Singapore" if it:
In general, it is an offence to import, make or reproduce, distribute, or exhibit any party political film. The punishment for doing so is a fine of up to $100,000 or imprisonment of up to two years. However, a film is not regarded as a party political film if it is:
- one made only for news reporting by a licensed broadcasting service;
- one made only to inform or educate people on the procedures and polling times for an election or national referendum in Singapore;
- one that consists of a live recording of a lawful performance, assembly or procession that does not show any event, person or situation in a dramatic way;
- one that records a lawful event or occasion for those who took part in the event or occasion or are connected with them;
- a documentary having no animation and made entirely of an accurate account that shows actual events, persons or situations, but not a film that is an unscripted or "reality" type programmeReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
or that depicts those events, persons or situations dramatically; or - a film created by a candidate or a political party without animation and dramatic elements made up entirely of the party's manifestoManifestoA manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
, or the candidate or party's ideology or declaration of policies that the candidate or party's candidates will seek to be elected on at a parliamentary or presidential electionPresidential elections in SingaporePresidential elections in Singapore, in which the President of Singapore is directly elected by popular vote, were introduced through amendments to the Constitution of Singapore in 1991. Potential candidates for office have to fulfil stringent qualifications set out in the Constitution....
.
In addition, during the period starting with the day when the writ of election is issued and ending with the start of the eve of polling day, election campaign recordings are exempted from the requirement that films must be submitted for review by the Board of Film Censors, and may be published on and distributed through the Internet. Such recordings are unmodified live recordings of lawful performances, assemblies or processions held in connection with election activities which do not depict the proceedings in a dramatic way or consist of unscripted or "reality" type programmes.
Under content codes issued by the Media Development Authority
Media Development Authority
The Media Development Authority is a statutory board of the Singapore Government, under the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts .-History:...
, political advertising is not permitted on radio or television. Instead the Authority arranges for pre-recorded party political broadcast
Party political broadcast
A party political broadcast is a short television or radio broadcast made by a political party....
s to be made on radio and TV, one on the day after nomination day and the other on the eve of polling day. Only political parties fielding at least six candidates at an election are eligible to make a broadcast; independent candidates may not do so. Party political broadcasts must be delivered by candidates, and each broadcast must consist of a single script in each of the four official languages of Singapore: Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, Mandarin
Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and English. The duration of the permitted broadcast depends on the number of candidates each party is fielding, and ranges from two and a half minutes for a party fielding six or seven candidates, to 12 minutes for one fielding between 80 and 87 candidates. The number of candidates fielded also determines the order of broadcasts, with the broadcast of the party fielding the smallest number of candidates on first and that of the party fielding the largest number last.
Banners and posters
Once nomination proceedings have ended on nomination day, the returning officer issues to each candidate, group of candidates or their election agents a permit authorising banners and posters to be displayed. The permit specifies the maximum number of banners and posters that may be displayed, any restrictions as to the places where or manner in which they must not be displayed, and the period after polling day within which they must be removed. All banners and posters must have a stamp bearing the returning officer's official mark on the bottom right-hand corner. They may not be displayed within 200 metres (656.2 ft) of any polling station or any shorter distance as the returning officer may specify. Among other things, it is an offence punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 12 months to alter, deface, destroy, obliterate or remove any banner or poster, or to display a banner or poster in such a way as to obscure any banner or poster already displayed.
Printed documents
All election advertising contained in printed documents must bear on their face or, if there is more than one side of printed matter, on the first or last pages, the names and addresses of their printers, publishers, and the persons for whom the advertising was published. Failure to comply with this requirement amounts to a corrupt practice and attracts a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months or both. In addition, a convicted person is subject to the disqualifications referred to earlier.
Election meetings
For election meetings such as rallies to be held, permits must be applied for from the Commissioner of PoliceCommissioner of Police (Singapore)
The Commissioner of Police is the top-ranking police officer of the Singapore Police Force. Assisted by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, he reports to the Minister for Home Affairs....
at the Police Elections Liaison Office in the Police Cantonment Complex
Police Cantonment Complex
The Police Cantonment Complex is a high-rise government complex located on 391 New Bridge Road, Singapore. It was officially opened in July 2001....
. The dates and venues for the meetings are fixed by the police, and candidates may apply for permits on a first-come-first-served basis the day before each meeting date. Although meetings can normally be held at Speakers' Corner
Speakers' Corner, Singapore
Singapore Speakers' Corner is a local version of London's Speakers' Corner, where members of the public can give speeches and engage public debates...
without applying for a police permit, this privilege does not apply during election periods.
Eve of polling day and polling day
Legal changes were introduced in 2010 to turn the eve of polling day for both parliamentary and presidential electionsPresidential elections in Singapore
Presidential elections in Singapore, in which the President of Singapore is directly elected by popular vote, were introduced through amendments to the Constitution of Singapore in 1991. Potential candidates for office have to fulfil stringent qualifications set out in the Constitution....
into a "cooling-off day" on which no campaigning is permitted. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
justified the changes as enabling voters to think dispassionately about the candidates' stands on issues raised, and reducing the chance of public disorder. On the eve and on polling day itself, election advertising is prohibited, though the following activities remain unaffected:
- distributing a book or promoting the sale of a book for not less than its commercial value if the book was planned to be published regardless of whether there was to be an election;
- publishing news relating to an election in an licensed newspaper in any medium or in a licensed radio or television broadcast;
- conveying one's own political views on a non-commercial basis to another individual by telephonic or electronic transmission;
- election advertising lawfully published or displayed before the start of the eve of polling day on the Internet which is not changed after its publication or display; and
- the continued lawful display of posters and banners already displayed before the start of the eve of polling day.
Badges, favours, flags, rosettes, symbols, sets of colours, advertisements, handbills, placards, posters and replica voting papers may not be carried, worn, used or displayed by any person or on any vehicle as political propaganda, although candidates may wear replicas of the symbols allotted to them for election purposes. In addition, holding election meetings and canvassing are not permitted on the day before polling day and polling day itself. Canvassing
Canvassing
Canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with a target group of individuals commonly used during political campaigns. A campaign team will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic area, engaging in face-to-face personal interaction with voters...
involves trying to persuade a person to vote or not to vote in a particular way, or visiting a voter for an election-related purpose at home or at his or her workplace. It is also an offence to exercise undue influence on any person at or near a polling station, for instance, by trying to find out the identity of any person entering a polling station, recording voters' particulars, and waiting outside or loitering within 200 metres (656.2 ft) of polling stations.
Voters receive poll card
Poll card
A poll card or polling card is a document which is sent to all registered voters shortly before an election. The poll card gives information about the election and the voter such as the date of the election, the location of the polling station, the poll's opening and closing times and the name,...
s informing them of the polling stations where they can cast their votes in person. Polling day at a general election is a public holiday, and voting is compulsory. Unless the returning officer decides otherwise, polling stations are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm on polling day. To vote, voters must go to the polling stations assigned to them. Applying for a ballot paper or voting in the name of someone else, or attempting to vote more than once, amounts to the offence of personation
Personation
Personation is a term used in law for the specific kind of voter fraud where an individual votes in an election, whilst pretending to be a different elector....
. If a person claiming to be a voter named in the electoral register turns up at a polling station after someone also claiming to be that voter has already voted, the second person is permitted to cast what is called a "tendered vote" using a ballot paper of a different colour after taking an oath to confirm his identity.
After the poll closes, the presiding officer of each polling station seals the ballot box
Ballot box
A ballot box is a temporarily sealed container, usually square box though sometimes a tamper resistant bag, with a narrow slot in the top sufficient to accept a ballot paper in an election but which prevents anyone from accessing the votes cast until the close of the voting period...
es without opening them. Candidates or their polling agent
Polling agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, a polling agent is someone appointed by either the election agent of a candidate standing for election, or where there is no election agent the candidate personally, to oversee polling at the election count....
s may also affix their own seals to the ballot boxes. The ballot boxes are then taken to counting centres to be opened and the ballots counted. According to the guidance issued to voters by the Elections Department, votes should be marked with a cross. However, even if this guidance is not followed, a vote is valid if the ballot paper clearly indicates the voter's intention and the candidate or group of candidates for whom he or she votes. A vote will be rejected by the returning officer as invalid if it:
- does not bear a complete authentication mark or is not initialled by the presiding officer at a polling station;
- contain votes for more than one candidate or group of candidates;
- has been written upon or marked in a way that identifies the voter;
- is blank; or
- is void for uncertainty.
The returning officer must show each ballot paper intended to be rejected to all candidates or their counting agents and hear their views, but makes the final decision as to whether the ballot paper should be rejected or not.
A candidate or his counting agent
Counting agent
A counting agent is appointed by either the candidate standing for election or the candidate's election agent to oversee the counting at the election count.Counting agents are only seen as part of elections in the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth...
may ask the returning officer for a recount of votes if the difference between the number of votes for the candidate or group of candidates with the most votes and the number of votes of any other candidate or group of candidate is 2% or less, excluding rejected and tendered votes. After all counts, and recounts if any, have been completed, the returning officer ascertains whether the total number of electors registered to vote overseas is less than the difference between the number of votes for the two candidates with the highest number of votes. If so, the returning officer declares the candidate with the highest number of votes to be elected as President. If not, the overseas votes may be decisive. The returning officer then states the number of votes cast for each candidate and the date and location where the overseas votes will be counted.
All officers, clerks, interpreters, candidates and candidates' agents at polling stations must maintain the secrecy of voting in stations. Before the poll is closed, they must not communicate to anyone the name of any elector who has or has not yet voted or his or her or identification number on the electoral register. They are prohibited from communicating information obtained during the counting of votes as to which candidate has been voted for in any particular ballot paper. Furthermore, no person is allowed to try and find out from within a polling station who a voter intends to vote for or has voted for, or to communicate with a voter after he has been given a ballot paper but before he has placed it in a ballot box.
Declaration that election is void
A person claiming to have been a candidate at a parliamentary election or to have had a right to be elected, or a person who voted or had a right to vote at a parliamentary election, may apply to an election judge for a candidate's election as President to be declared void on any of the following grounds:- The majority of voters was or might have been prevented from electing their preferred candidate due to a general occurrence of bribery, treating, intimidation or some other form of misconduct or circumstances.
- There was a failure to comply with the Parliamentary Elections Act and this affected the result of the election.
- A corrupt or illegal practice in connection with the election was committed by the candidate, or by an agent of the candidate with his knowledge or consent.
- The candidate personally hired someone as an election agent, canvasser or agent while aware that the person had been found guilty of a corrupt practice within the seven years before he was engaged.
- At the time the candidate was elected, he was disqualified from standing for election.
The Chief Justice or a Supreme Court judge nominated by him acts as the election judge.
The applicant for an election to be avoided may ask for a declaration
Declaration (law)
In law, a declaration ordinarily refers to a judgment of the court or an award of an arbitration tribunal is a binding adjudication of the rights or other legal relations of the parties which does not provide for or order enforcement. Where the declaration is made by a court, it is usually...
that the election is void, that a particular candidate was wrongfully declared to have been elected, and/or that another candidate was duly elected. The applicant may also request for a scrutiny
Scrutiny
Scrutiny...
– that is, a re-examination of the ballot papers – if he or she alleges that an unsuccessful candidate had a majority of lawful votes. When a scrutiny is conducted, the election judge may order a vote to be struck off if the voter was not on the register of electors assigned to the polling station at which the vote was recorded or was not authorised to vote at the station; if the vote was obtained by bribery, treating or undue influence; if the voter committed or induced someone to commit the offence of personation
Personation
Personation is a term used in law for the specific kind of voter fraud where an individual votes in an election, whilst pretending to be a different elector....
; if the voter cast a vote at a general election in more than one electoral division; and if the vote was for a disqualified candidate and the disqualification was either a matter that the voter was aware of or was sufficiently publicised or widely known. During a scrutiny, a tendered vote that is shown to be valid will be added to the poll if any party to the proceedings asks for the vote to be added. On the other hand, a registered elector's vote will not be struck off at a scrutiny just because he was not qualified to be on the electoral register, and the returning officer's decision as to whether or not a ballot paper should be rejected may not be questioned.
The election judge is empowered to exempt from being an illegal practice any particular act or omission by a candidate, his election agents or any other agent or person in paying a sum, incurring an expense or entering into a contract if it was done in good faith
Good faith
In philosophy, the concept of Good faith—Latin bona fides “good faith”, bona fide “in good faith”—denotes sincere, honest intention or belief, regardless of the outcome of an action; the opposed concepts are bad faith, mala fides and perfidy...
and was due to inadvertence, accidental miscalculation or the like. Similarly, the judge may make an order allowing an authorised excuse for a failure to file a proper return or declaration relating to election expenses if the candidate or his principal election agent shows that he acted in good faith and that there is a reasonable explanation for the shortcoming such as his inadvertence or illness, or the absence, death, illness or misconduct of some other agent, clerk or officer. In particular, the judge may relieve a candidate from the consequences of an act or omission by his principal election agent if he did not sanction or connive in it and took all reasonable means to prevent it.
The election judge certifies his decision, which is final, to the President. The judge must also report to the President whether any corrupt or illegal practice was established to have been committed by or with the knowledge and consent of any candidate or his agent. If a judge intends to report a person who was neither a party to the proceedings nor a candidate claiming he should have been declared elected, that person must be given an opportunity to be heard and to give and call evidence to show why a report should not be made against him. However, where a candidate's agents are found to have been guilty of treating, undue influence or an illegal practice, but the candidate proves that the offences were committed contrary to his orders and without his or his election agents' sanction or connivance, that all reasonable means were taken to prevent corrupt and illegal practices at the election, that the offences were of a trivial and limited nature, and in other respects the election was free from corrupt or illegal practice, the election is not void.
Depending on whether the judge has determined that the election was valid or void, the election return is confirmed or altered. If the election is declared void, the President is empowered to order that another election be held in the electoral division concerned within one month of the determination. If the election of one MP in a GRC is determined to be void, the election of the other MPs for that constituency is also void.
Past elections and latest election
With effect from 3 June 1959, Singapore was granted full internal self-government by the British GovernmentGovernment of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
and became known as the State of Singapore. For the first time, Singapore had a fully elected Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of Singapore
The Legislative Assembly of Singapore was the legislature of the government of Singapore from 1955 to 1965 and the predecessor of the Parliament of Singapore. The Rendel Constitution, proposed in 1953, sought to give the local population more self-governance as the Merdeka independence movement grew...
. At the 1959 general election held on 30 May that year to give effect to the new constitution, the People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
(PAP) led by Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
swept into power with 43 out of 51 seats in the Assembly. Since then, the PAP has retained power and formed the Government
Government of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
through successive elections, and Singapore's merger with Malaysia
Singapore in Malaysia
On 16 September 1963, which was also Lee Kuan Yew's 40th birthday, Singapore merged with the Federation of Malaya alongside Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia...
in 1963 and full independence in 1965. In the 1968 general election
Singaporean general election, 1968
General elections were held in Singapore on 19 April 1968, the first after independence from Malaysia. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won all 58 seats, the first of four consecutive elections in which they repeated the feat...
, the PAP was returned unopposed in all except seven of the 58 constituencies, and won the remaining seats with 84% of the popular vote. Thereafter, every seat in Parliament was held by a PAP MP until Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam was a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He was the leader of the Workers' Party from 1971 to 2001...
of the Workers' Party of Singapore
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
won a 1981 by-election
Singaporean by-election, 1981
By election was held on 31 October 1981 while the nomination day was held on 21 October 1981 because the original MP of Anson constituency C. V. Devan Nair had been nominated as the third President of Singapore, succeeding Benjamin Henry Sheares who had died on 12 May 1981.-Historical...
in the Anson constituency. Jeyaretnam retained his seat at the following general election in 1984
Singaporean general election, 1984
General elections were held in Singapore on 22 December 1984. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won 77 of the 79 seats, marking the first time since 1963 that they had not won every seat...
, at which Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament....
of the Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
was also elected as representative of Potong Pasir
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency
Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency in the central region of Singapore.-Location:The SMC encompasses Potong Pasir, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and Tannery...
. Between 1984 and 2011, the number of elected parliamentary seats held by opposition parties fluctuated between one (after the 1988 election
Singaporean general election, 1988
General elections were held in Singapore on 3 September 1988. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won 80 of the 81 seats...
) and four (1991 election
Singaporean general election, 1991
General elections were held in Singapore on 31 August 1991. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won 77 of the 81 seats...
).
The PAP's share of the vote fell to its lowest since 1965 at the latest general election in 2011, where it was 60.1%. For the first time, an opposition party – the Workers' Party – captured a GRC. It ended up securing one seat through Hougang SMC
Hougang Single Member Constituency
Hougang Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency whose borders roughly enclose the town of Hougang, located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The boundary includes a portion of Hougang and is an opposition held seat with its Member of Parliament the Workers' Party's Yaw...
and five through Aljunied GRC
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied...
, limiting the PAP's majority to 81 out of 87 seats.
See also
- Constituencies of SingaporeConstituencies of SingaporeConstituencies in Singapore are electoral divisions which may be represented by single or multiple seats in the Parliament of Singapore. Constituencies are classified as either single member or group representation constituencies...
- Elections in SingaporeElections in SingaporeThere are currently two types of elections in Singapore: parliamentary and presidential elections.While the Constitution of Singapore does not specify exactly when elections need to be held, Parliamentary or General Elections are generally 5 years apart, while Presidential elections are generally...
- Parliament of SingaporeParliament of SingaporeThe Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
- Presidential elections in SingaporePresidential elections in SingaporePresidential elections in Singapore, in which the President of Singapore is directly elected by popular vote, were introduced through amendments to the Constitution of Singapore in 1991. Potential candidates for office have to fulfil stringent qualifications set out in the Constitution....
Legislation
. ("FA").- Films (Election Campaign Recordings – Exemption) Notification 2011 (S 133/2011) dated 14 March 2011, archived from the original on 10 May 2011 ("Campaign Recordings Notification"). ("PEA").
- Parliamentary Elections (Election Advertising) Regulations (Cap. 218, Rg. 3, 2011 Rev. Ed.), archived from the original on 10 May 2011 ("Election Advertising Regulations"). ("PDA").
Other works
- General Election 2011 Party Political Broadcasts guideline dated 23 April 2011, archived from the original on 10 May 2011 ("Political Broadcasts guideline")..