Singapore calls snap election as dissent increases
By John Burton in Singapore
Published: April 20 2006 12:58 | Last updated: April 20 2006 12:58
singapore flagSingaporeÂ’s government on Thursday called a snap general election for May 6 in which opposition parties are expected to mount their biggest challenge against the long-ruling PeopleÂ’s Action party in nearly 20 years.
The PAP, which has governed since 1959, is expected to win the election easily because of its nearly total political dominance. But the government of Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister since 2004, could face a large number of protest votes in its first election test.
The polls are expected to be dominated by a debate over the widening gap between rich and poor in the wealthy city-state, with a recent government survey disclosing that 250,000 of its 3.6m citizens were earning less than S$1,000 a month.
Although SingaporeÂ’s gross domestic product per capita is close to US$30,000, one of the highest in Asia, the city-state only ranks 77th in terms of income equality, according to the United Nations.
The government, which normally places tight limits on social spending, recently decided to distribute S$2.6bn in one-off payments to mainly low-income workers and the elderly.
The opposition said the timing of the move, shortly before the election was expected to occur, amounted to an attempt to buy votes - an allegation that the government denied.
Several PAP-led town councils have unveiled plans to upgrade public housing estates, in which most Singaporeans live.
The government has warned that estate upgrades in districts that elect an opposition member of parliament would be delayed - an important consideration for many voters because upgrades increase the resale value of homes.
Although the government was not required to call an election until next year, analysts said that Mr Lee wanted to take advantage of a strong economy to attract votes. The economy is expected to expand by at least 6 per cent in 2006.
Mr Lee, the eldest son of independent SingaporeÂ’s first leader, Lee Kuan Yew, has said he wants the PAP to win all 84 parliamentary seats, two of which are now held by the opposition parties.
But the three main opposition parties are expected to mount their biggest slate of candidates since 1988. Since then, they have contested less than half of the seats, giving the government an automatic victory even before the election.
With a PAP victory not in doubt, SingaporeÂ’s elections have been seen more as plebiscites to gauge public support for the government.
The government of Goh Chok Tong, Mr LeeÂ’s predecessor, gained 75 per cent of the votes in the last election in 2001, the best PAP performance in 20 years. Mr Lee is playing down expectations that his government will match that vote tally.
In addition to income inequality, the opposition parties are expected to criticise the governmentÂ’s decision last year to allow casinos to operate in Singapore in spite of strong opposition from religious groups.
The government has succeeded in marginalising opposition parties through what critics claim are intimidation tactics and by denying them full access to the state-guided media.
As a result, the opposition is often viewed by voters as a weak alternative to the PAP. Squabbles among the fragmented opposition have also reduced their appeal, although they have agreed to coordinate their campaigns for this election.
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