General elections are due to be held in Singapore no later than 23 November 2025 to determine the composition of the fifteenth Singaporean Parliament. The elections will be the nineteenth in Singapore since 1948 and the fourteenth since independence.
For the first time since the 2006 general election, Lee Hsien Loong will not be leading the governing People's Action Party (PAP) into this election, as he was succeeded by Lawrence Wong as Prime Minister on 15 May 2024,[1] and PAP's secretary-general on 4 December 2024.[2] The PAP has won at least a two-thirds supermajority of seats in every election in Singapore since independence.
Electoral system
Constituencies of Singapore as of the last election, which are often subject to adjustments prior to the next election.
Under Article 65(4) of the Singaporean Constitution, the maximum duration for a term of Parliament is five years from the date of its first sitting before it is automatically dissolved by operation of law; however, the Prime Minister (under the command of a vote of confidence from a majority of sitting Members of Parliament) has sole discretion to advise the President for early dissolution at any time during the five-year term. [3] A general election must be held within three months upon its dissolution.[4]
Electoral Divisions (also referred to as seats in Parliament) are organised into Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). Each SMC returns one MP using the first past the post voting system, while each GRC returns four or five MPs by party block voting, at least one of whom must be from the Malay, Indian or other minority communities. A group of candidates intending to contest an 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. Elections are conducted by the Elections Department (ELD), a department under the Prime Minister's Office.[5]
In a statement from the Elections Department Singapore on 15 October 2024, special arrangements at nursing homes, which was first implemented in the 2023 presidential election, will be discontinued citing logistical constraints and mixed reception itself.[7][8]
As of November 2024,[12] the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee has not yet been convened, signalling that the general election will be held in 2025 instead.[13] Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in November 2024 that the government would make an announcement when the committee is convened.[14] In a statement by the Elections Department, the register was refreshed on 19 June 2024 and had inspection opened till 2 July.[15] The latest certification for the Register of Electors was released on 21 July, announcing an electorate of 2,715,187.[16]
Possible election dates
There has been varying speculations on when the next General Election will be held, with the earliest being in 2024.[17][18] In June 2024, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong discussed about the possible dates, where he said that the calendar of high-level meetings should be kept in mind, which would indicate which dates he will be away and the dates he is present in Singapore.[19] He confirmed on 8 November 2024 that the timing of the election had not yet been decided.[14]
The general election will most likely be held some time between March to July and September to October 2025, with January and February ruled out since the last time an election took place in January was in 1997. The election is also expected to not clash with the G20 Summit that will be held on 27-28 November 2025 in South Africa, which would've passed the maximum allowed date for the election.[20] Though unconfirmed, the 46th ASEAN Summit is expected to be held in April or May and the 47th ASEAN Summit, along with APEC in November[21] — in the event that the General Election does clash with any of the international events mentioned, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is expected to be represented by a senior cabinet official, as was the case in May 2011.[22]
After the 2020 general election, the governing People's Action Party (PAP) appointed Heng Swee Keat as First Assistant Secretary-General, and next in line to succeed Lee Hsien Loong as Prime Minister during their Central Executive Committee (CEC) election, subject to the party winning a majority of seats in the next general election.[24] Four new members, including three serving ministers and Ng Chee Meng, were also co-opted into the CEC.[25]
In April 2021, Heng subsequently withdrew from and ruled himself out as the potential next prime minister, citing age and health concerns, though analysts also attributed the withdrawal to Heng's worse-than-expected result in East Coast GRC during the previous general election.[26][27]
On 14 April 2022, Lawrence Wong was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of PAP MPs as the leader of the fourth generation (4G) of PAP leadership, placing him in line to succeed Lee as prime minister if the party wins a majority of seats in the next general election.[28] On 13 June 2022, Lawrence Wong was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. This move further cemented his standing as the successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. It was announced on 5 November 2023 that Lee would hand over the office to Wong in 2024 before the party's 70th anniversary.[29][30] The date was confirmed as 15 May 2024 in an announcement on 15 April 2024; Lee stepped down his post and passed his premier to Wong on that day.[31] The new cabinet was also announced, with Gan Kim Yong promoted as the next-in-line Deputy Prime Minister and Lee conferred as a Senior Minister,[32] though changes to the cabinet were minor until the next election.[33] Senior Minister Lee relinquished his Secretary-General post (but remained in the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC)) to Wong for the party's 38th CEC[34] in their recent biennial conference on 24 November 2024, three days after PAP turned 70.[35][36] Notably, recently-appointed DPM Gan was among the 17 outgoing members in the CEC, who earlier handed his party chairman to Heng in 2022, while Chee Hong Tat was co-opted into CEC for the first time.[37] On 4 December 2024, Wong was elected as the Secretary-General of People's Action Party.[38]
On 12 July 2023, S. Iswaran was summoned to assist in an unspecified corruption investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). Upon being briefed on the investigation by the CPIB, Prime Minister Lee instructed Iswaran to go on a leave of absence with immediate effect until investigations ended, and subsequently suspending his duties as an MP; Chee Hong Tat was appointed as Acting Minister for Transport.[41] On 15 July 2023, it was revealed that Iswaran had been arrested pursuant to the investigation and was released on bail on 11 July 2023.[42] The investigation had also expanded to include billionaire businessman Ong Beng Seng, who was arrested at the same time.[43][44][45]
CPIB's investigations were concluded on 9 January 2024 and was handed over to the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) for prosecution, according to a parliamentary reply given by Minister-in-charge of Public Service Chan Chun Sing.[46] A week later, Iswaran resigned from the Cabinet and as the MP of West Coast GRC and member of the People's Action Party (PAP), following the charges against him by the AGC.[47] In a follow-up letter the next day, he pledged to return the salary that he had received since the beginning of the CPIB investigation in July 2023 back to the government.[47] The following day, State Courts of Singapore revealed that Iswaran had been charged of 27 offences, including charges of corruption and obstruction of justice,[48][49] becoming the first cabinet minister since Teh Cheang Wan in 1986 to be charged for corruption; the charges against Iswaran, who pleaded not guilty, thus attracted several international news outlets to report on the case.[50][51][52][53] Consequently, Chee succeeded Iswaran as Minister for Transport, while Grace Fu succeeded him as Minister-in-charge for Trade Relations.[54] Iswaran was eventually pleaded guilty for five charges (out of the 35 known so far) on 24 September and was sentenced to a 12-month jail term on 3 October.[55][56]
On 17 July 2023, both Cheng Li Hui and SpeakerTan Chuan-Jin simultaneously resigned from Parliament and as members of the PAP due to "propriety and personal conduct", alluding to extramarital affairs.[57] Prime Minister Lee, in response to their resignation letters, said in a statement that their resignations were "necessary" to "maintain the high standards of propriety and personal conduct which the PAP has upheld all these years." On 2 August 2023, Seah Kian Peng succeeded Tan as Speaker of Parliament.[58][59]
In a statement by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the Women's Wing conference on 1 September 2024, following a record high number of female MP-elects in the previous election, he sought to further promote women representation in parliament.[60] Candidates are progressively announced before the parliament term expires, which include the successors for the three (out of four) vacated seats,[61] three new members in the opposition-held constituencies,[62] and at least one candidate in a potential swing constituency.[63]
Workers' Party
After the 2020 general election, the Workers' Party (WP) elected the four newly elected MPs in Sengkang GRC into the Central Executive Committee (CEC).[64] Secretary-General Pritam Singh and Chairperson Sylvia Lim were re-elected to their posts unopposed.[65] As of the recent CEC change on 30 June 2024, Low remains listed as a party's CEC member, so were the re-elections of secretary-general Singh and chairwoman Lim; among the new members were Ang Boon Yaw, Nathaniel Koh and Tan Kong Soon, while former Hougang SMC MP Png Eng Huat stepped down in 2022,[66] and former MP of the defunct Punggol East SMCLee Li Lian was reinstated into CEC on 30 June 2024 after a three-year absence;[67] Lee was working as a town councilor to Sengkang Town Council at the time of announcement.[68] The party plans to field more candidates and has expressed interest in contesting Jalan Besar GRC, which the party last did in 2015.[69] While the trial for Aljunied-Hougang Town Council was still underway since 2013, both Aljunied-Hougang and Sengkang Town Councils had outperformed better (along with 15 other town councils) in its management areas over the years, as it was last reviewed in 27 June 2024.[70][71]
Former secretary-general Low Thia Khiang, who stood down in the previous election following an injury, initially adamant that he would continue to be involved from politics, although he personally feels that it would be a "back step" were he to nominate himself for candidacy,[72][73] but on 7 December 2024, Low confirmed his political retirement via Instagram, quashing another speculation on whether Low would make a comeback after an election hiatus.[74][75]
Two WP seats have been vacated during the term. The first resignation occurred on 30 November 2021, after Raeesah Khan admitted to making unsubstantiated allegations in Parliament on three occasions.[76][77][78] Upon interviewed by the Parliament's Committee of Privileges on Ms. Raeesah Khan, Parliament referred Party Leaders Pritam Singh and Faisal Manap to the public prosecutor for potentially lying to mislead Parliament. Manap has since been advised by the police "to familiarise himself with the conduct expected of Members of Parliament". Singh has since been charged for lying to Parliament by the public prosecutor.[79][80] The party had also expelled a former CEC and NCMP Daniel Goh in June 2023 over his Facebook posts questioning Khan's resignation and criticising the party leadership for "allowing the transgression to persist".[81][82]
The second resignation occurred on 19 July 2023, when a viral video showing an extramarital affair between Leon Perera and president of the party's youth wing, Nicole Seah, surfaced online. Both members subsequently resigned from the party afterwards.[83]
Progress Singapore Party
After the 2020 general election, Assistant Secretary-General Leong Mun Wai and Vice-Chairwoman Hazel Poa were appointed Non-Constituency Members of Parliament by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.[84] A policy research team, youth, and women wings were also created as part of the reorganisation of the party.[85] As of 2024, PSP's founder Tan Cheng Bock revealed he had not retired from politics, and continued his walkabout and rallying at West Coast GRC, the ward where it was their best-performing constituency for the party; however, neither Tan nor the team revealed further details at the time until the election date draws close.[86]
The role for the party's Secretary-General had since taken over by Hazel Poa as of 20 February 2024,[87] quashing speculations of a rift within the party that Tan had been pressured by party cadres to step down in order to make way for a younger candidate, after Tan Cheng Bock relinquished the role on 3 April 2021 to Francis Yuen;[88][89] Yuen left the role on 26 March 2023 citing work commitments.[90] NCMP Leong Mun Wai then held the role from 4 April until 20 February 2024, following complications over the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA)[91] for a post about financial aid to an elderly couple living at West Coast.[92]
On 13 May 2024, Assistant Secretary-General Ang Yong Guan, who was also a medical practitioner in Ang Yong Guan Psychiatry, was found guilty of three counts of professional misconduct for departing from guidelines in prescribing various medications to a patient, leading to the patient's death in 2012. The PSP has not yet taken any disciplinary action on Ang, but respected the court's decision and discussions on his status to remain the party remain unknown as of now.[93]
Extraparliamentary parties
Reform Party
Reform Party Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam removed Chairman Andy Zhu from his position of the RP's Central Executive Committee (CEC), and replaced him with Charles Yeo, alongside treasurer Noraini Yunus. The party accused Zhu and his associates, for improper procedures in the handling of the party's bank account.[94] Zhu subsequently formed its splinter party, Singapore United Party, with several former members of RP.[95] Osman Suliaman was among the members who resigned, but joined the Singapore People's Party instead.[96]
Yeo relinquished his position on 15 January 2022 over arrests relating to alleged offences of criminal breach of trust and forgery in the course of his works.[97] While Yeo posted bail on July 2022 and was granted permission to leave Singapore to visit Vietnam for a hearing, instead of returning to Singapore, Yeo sought asylum in the United Kingdom,[98] leading Singapore to send a request to the UK in October 2023. Yeo was arrested by the authorities on 4 November 2024.[99]
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party had made preparations ahead of the election, and began their walkabout and campaigning around August 2023.[100] They also have announced on contesting Sembawang GRC for the first time since the 2011 election.[101][102] The party also relocated their headquarters to WGECA Tower on 11 November 2023.[103]
^Chia, Chin Hui Shan, Carmen Sin, Lee Li Ying, Osmond (3 October 2024). "Iswaran sentenced to 12 months' jail". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 3 October 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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