SINGAPORE Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s ruling People’s Action Party will face a fight from opposition candidates in all 89 parliamentary seats for the first time since independence 50 years ago, nominations showed yesterday.
Singapore goes to the polls Sept. 11, more than a year before a deadline for the next election, with the government seen riding the feel-good factor of the wealthy city-state’s 50th birthday last month amid slowing economic growth.
The PAP, co-founded by the prime minister’s father, the late Lee Kuan Yew, has ruled Singapore since six years before independence in 1965.
The party is trying to improve its performance from 2011 when its share of vote fell due to unhappiness over then high housing prices, the cost of living and immigration.
Since then, the government has introduced curbs on foreign workers, measures to cool a red-hot property market and subsidized health-care coverage for the elderly.
The candidates for the 16 group representation constituencies and 13 single-member constituencies were confirmed at the close of nominations.
“We expect the PAP to remain in power, with the possibility of better performance, and arrest the fall in its popularity,” said Nomura analysts said in a note to clients last week. (SD-Agencies)
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