Singapore: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s People’s Action Party has retained power with a “clear mandate” in the general election held amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but the opposition staged its best performance ever by securing a record 10 seats in Parliament.
The People’s Action Party (PAP), in power since 1965, won 83 of 93 parliamentary seats or 61.2 per cent of the vote – down from nearly 70 per cent it had in the 2015 general election. In 2015, the PAP secured 83 seats out of 89 seats in 29 constituencies.
The surprise this time was that the opposition Workers’ Party secured 10 seats –– its best result.
Friday’s election was widely seen as a referendum on the Prime Minister Lee’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Singapore is currently facing the city state’s worst recession with economy projected to shrink between 7 and 4 per cent. Singapore is only a handful of countries to have held an election during the pandemic. This was not a “feel-good” election, said Lee.
But he noted that the ruling PAP received a “clear mandate” from the people.
“We have a clear mandate, but the percentage of the popular vote is not as high as I had hoped for,” 68-year old Lee told a PAP’s post-results press conference on Saturday morning.
“Nevertheless, the results reflect broad-based support for the PAP,” Lee said at a press conference.
“Singaporeans understand what is at stake and why we must come together to uphold our national interests. I will use this mandate responsibly to deal with COVID-19 and the economic downturn to take us through the crisis safely and beyond,” he added. Lee congratulated the Workers’ Party for what he called a “strong performance.”
The opposition Workers’ Party secured 10 seats and defeated a team in the Group Representation Constituency of Sengkang led by former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Ng Chee Meng who is also the Secretary-General of the power National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). (PTI)
