Singapore heads to the polls on Saturday. What’s at stake?

Singaporeans will head to the polls on Saturday in what is being seen as the first major test for new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. His People’s Action Party (PAP) is aiming to continue its long-standing rule and win a stronger mandate.

The PAP has won every election since the city-state became independent in 1965.

Wong , who became Prime Minister last year, is hoping to boost support after the PAP saw a drop in backing during the 2020 elections, when many voters were unhappy with how the government was performing.

The PAP is still the most powerful party in Singapore’s politics. It has a strong record in managing the country well, bringing in investment and keeping the trade-heavy economy steady.

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The party has far more resources than its rivals and a large number of members. Of the 211 candidates standing in the election, 46 per cent belong to the PAP.

No single opposition party has enough reach to take on the PAP on its own. The Workers’ Party, the main challenger, is competing in only a quarter of the seats, so it can win at most 26. The Progress Singapore Party, which also had seats in the last parliament, is contesting just 13.

Here’s a look at what to expect from the election, what’s at stake, how the process works, the main issues being discussed, and who the PAP will be up against.

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The election process

Singapore holds general elections every five years, voting is compulsory. The country uses a mixed voting system made up of single-member wards and group representation constituencies (GRCs).

In GRCs, people vote for a team of up to six candidates instead of just one. Each team must include at least one person from a minority ethnic group.

GRCs are chosen to make sure minority communities have a voice in Parliament. But some critics argue that this system gives the PAP an advantage and makes it harder for opposition parties to take part. Notably, Singapore’s majority population is ethnic Chinese, with Malays and Indians forming the minority groups.

Around 2.76 million people are registered to vote and will choose 97 members of Parliament. However, five seats have already gone to the PAP without a contest, as no opposition candidates were put forward in one of the GRCs. In total, there are 33 constituencies - 15 are single-member wards, and 18 are GRCs.

Voting starts at 8 am local time and goes on for 12 hours. The results are expected to come in later that night.

What’s at stake?

Known for its clean and effective governance, the PAP is seen as a beacon of stability and prosperity. While it is assured of victory, its support is being chipped away by unhappiness over government control and a high cost of living.

Widening income disparity, increasingly unaffordable housing, overcrowding caused by immigration and restrictions on free speech have also loosened the PAP’s grip on power.

Steady gains by the opposition in recent elections have been widely interpreted as signs of disenchantment with the ruling party’s monopoly and a desire among some Singaporeans, particularly younger voters, for more diverse politics, with alternative voices and ideas, greater policy scrutiny and more robust debate.

In 2020 polls, the PAP’s share of popular support slipped to a near-record low of 61%, down from nearly 70% in 2015. The PAP kept 83 out of 93 parliamentary seats, but it ceded more seats to the opposition, which won 10 seats, the most ever.

The opposition has acknowledged it cannot unseat the PAP but is appealing to voters for a stronger voice in Parliament.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was premier for two decades, warned at a PAP rally on Sunday that opposition seat gains would “weaken the ruling party’s ability to govern” and result in the loss of experienced ministers.

Wong, a U.S.-trained economist and former finance minister, warned this would only weaken the government as it navigates economic turbulence following U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes. The government has lowered its growth forecast, and warned of a possible recession.

“If the PAP has a weakened mandate, you can be sure there will be people tempted to push us around. It will be harder for us to advance Singapore’s interest. But with a clear mandate from you, my team and I can speak up for Singapore confidently,” Wong said while campaigning this week.

The PAP has fielded many new faces to refresh the party. Wong offered cash handouts, vouchers and other goodies in this year’s national budget, and sought to engage younger voters in developing a more balanced and inclusive Singapore. A strong PAP performance would help seal Wong’s leadership and determine whether the one-party dominance in Singapore could endure over the next decade.

“The ruling party has portrayed the ongoing tariffs war as a crisis for trade-reliant Singapore,” said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University. “Will voters rally behind the PAP, or will they come to view the political system … as being robust enough and can accommodate more political diversity and competition?”

What are the major issues?

The opposition is taking aim at the PAP over living costs and housing availability, a perennial problem in Singapore, among the world’s most expensive cities.

The PAP has sought to head that off with a raft of giveaways in February’s budget, including grocery vouchers, tax rebates and cash handouts. Wong has pledged more if Singapore’s economy suffers collateral damage from global trade tensions, with recession possible.

Some opposition parties are also campaigning for tighter controls on foreign workers in high-paid jobs and free or reduced-price healthcare, an issue for Singapore’s ageing population. Wong has warned of “many tempting proposals” from opponents that could weaken public finances and hurt investment and incomes.

Who is PAP up against?

The Workers Party, led by lawyer Pritam Singh , is the biggest opposition party and the only one with a presence in Parliament. Singh was named as Singapore’s first opposition leader after the WP won 10 seats in the 2020 polls. But despite gaining ground over the years, the opposition still struggles with limited resources and talent, and fragmented support.

The WP is fielding only 26 candidates in this election. Singh has said even if the WP won all 26 seats, it wouldn’t hamper the PAP but lead to a more balanced political system and greater accountability. The remaining seats are contested by nine smaller opposition parties and coalitions, as well as two independent candidates.

“The WP threat is taken seriously by the PAP and it will be a keener contest than in 2020. It remains to be seen how many more seats it will win. But even an additional seat won will add to the WP’s standing and build on the momentum to erode the one-party dominant system,” said law professor Tan.

What gives PAP an edge?

Wong called the election at short notice on April 15, giving opponents little preparation time. Singapore’s unique model also works favourably for his party, with both single- and multi-member constituencies, where teams of up to six candidates run.

Unlike the PAP, opposition parties struggle to recruit enough candidates for multi-member contests, and steep deposits of S$13,500 ($10,280) per candidate are a deterrent.

More than half of the constituencies are multi-member, and the PAP already has five seats in the bag after a walkover in one of those when no opposition parties contested.

Singapore also regularly revises electoral divisions, ostensibly to reflect population shifts, which has worked to the PAP’s advantage. It has previously denied allegations of gerrymandering.

(With inputs from AP & Reuters)