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Singapore General Election 2020: 10 July 2020 (Friday)


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Singapore General Election 2020: Singaporeans will go to the polls on July 10

 

SINGAPORE - Singaporeans will go to the polls on July 10, in a general election that will see the contest for hearts and minds waged on a drastically different battleground due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The widely anticipated announcement of the election date came on Tuesday (June 23), when President Halimah Yacob dissolved Singapore's 13th Parliament and issued the Writ of Election.

Nomination Day will be next Tuesday (June 30), with the minimum of nine days to campaign before Cooling-off Day on July 9. Polling Day will be a public holiday.

 

There will be nine nomination centres.

In a televised address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he has decided to call the general election now, while the Covid-19 situation is relatively stable, to "clear the decks" and give the new government a fresh, full five-year mandate.

 

After the election, the new government can focus on the national agenda - which includes handling the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and jobs - and the difficult decisions it will have to make and to carry, he said.

 

The alternative is to wait out the pandemic, he said, noting however that there is no assurance that the outbreak will be over before the Government's term ends next April, with the virus expected to linger for at least a year - most probably longer - until a vaccine is available.

 

This general election will be like no other that Singapore has experienced, he said, not just because of the special arrangements to deal with Covid-19, but also the gravity of the situation and the issues at stake.

"The government that you elect will have critical decisions to make," Mr Lee said. "These decisions will impact your lives and livelihoods, and shape Singapore for many years to come, far beyond the five-year term of the next government."

 

The election, Singapore's 13th since independence, is likely to again see the People's Action Party (PAP) challenged for all seats - as the ruling party was in 2015.

 

A total of 93 elected seats are at stake - in 17 group representation constituencies and 14 single-member constituencies.

GE2020 will be fought against the backdrop of the Covid-19 outbreak, which has been described as the most dangerous crisis humanity has faced in a very long time.

 

Safe distancing rules that restrict the size of public gatherings to five people mean traditional campaign staples like mass rallies cannot be held. Political parties also have to scale back the scope of their walkabouts in constituencies.

 

They have turned to cyberspace and social media to get their messages across to the electorate instead. Each candidate will also get airtime on national television, as part of the new, one-off constituency political broadcasts.

 

Observers reckon issues that will feature prominently at the hustings include the state of the economy and jobs, the Government's handling of the coronavirus situation, and setting the direction for Singapore's future after Covid-19.

 

The pandemic had brought economies to a near standstill as countries locked down to curb the spread of the virus. On its part, Singapore's economy is projected to shrink by up to 7 per cent this year, which would make it the worst recession since the country's independence in 1965.

 

The Government has made protecting jobs a key plank of its fiscal response to the crisis, as it rolled out four Covid-19 support packages amounting to some $93 billion, requiring a draw of up to $52 billion from past reserves.

 

This coming election will see Mr Lee lead the PAP into battle for the fourth, and what looks set to be the final, time as prime minister. He had earlier declared his intention to hand over the reins to his successor by the time he turns 70, which will be in 2022.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who leads the PAP's fourth-generation team, is poised to take over.

 

The 2006 General Election, the first led by Mr Lee, saw the PAP get 66.6 per cent of the popular vote. But the ruling party saw its vote share fall to 60.1 per cent in the 2011 election, as voters made clear their unhappiness over issues such as housing affordability, immigration and overcrowded public transport.

 

In 2015, the PAP secured 69.9 per cent of the vote - a surge that analysts have attributed to policy changes that addressed voters' concerns, the feel-good effect from Singapore's Golden Jubilee and the death of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew in March that year, among other factors.

 

This time around, the threat of Covid-19 will loom large over the campaign.

The Elections Department (ELD) will roll out various measures to keep voters safe on Polling Day, including increasing the number of polling stations from 880 to 1,100, allocating recommended two-hour time slots for voters to cast their ballots and giving them disposable gloves.

 

Those on stay-home notice (SHN) orders at designated facilities like hotels will vote at special polling stations that are provided for by the Parliamentary Elections (Covid-19 Special Arrangements) Act.

 

For voters on SHN at home, on quarantine orders or who are issued medical certificates for acute respiratory symptoms, the ELD said the decision for these groups will be made and announced only after the Writ of Election is issued.

 

There will be 2,653,942 voters heading to the polls, up from 2,460,484 in the 2015 election.

 

There will also be a minimum of 12 opposition MPs in Parliament, as this is the first election since changes to the Constitution were passed to guarantee that number, should there be fewer than 12 elected opposition members. Non-constituency MPs will also have full voting rights.

 

The Returning Officer for this election is Mr Tan Meng Dui, replacing Mr Ng Wai Choong, who was the Returning Officer for the 2015 General Election.

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/ge2020-singaporeans-will-go-to-the-polls-on-july-10

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tcb-lhy-breakfast.jpg

 

photo6311952224342878645.jpg

 

photo6311952224342878636.jpg

 

photo6311952224342878646.jpg

 

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Lee Hsien Yang is a PSP member, joins Tan Cheng Bock for breakfast meeting at Tiong Bahru market

He joined the party three months ago.

 

Secretary-general of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), Tan Cheng Bock, met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's brother, Lee Hsien Yang, for a breakfast meeting on June 24 morning.

 

Due to the rain and early morning timing, the market was visibly less crowded even though the entourage garnered some public attention.

Joining them are three other members from the Central Executive Committee, including assistant secretary-general Leong Mun Wai as well as members Yuen Kin Pheng, Francis, and Michael Chua.

 

All five of them were spotted in the PSP party red and white polo-shirt.

The Straits Times reported that Lee has joined the party as a member "for quite some time" and Tan gave Lee the party's membership card this morning.

While speaking to the press, Tan said that Lee had joined the party about "three months ago".

 

When the media asked if he is contesting in the upcoming election, Lee said, "You'll find out".

It is also unclear if Lee is supporting the party financially but he told media "that's possible".

 

https://mothership.sg/2020/06/lee-hsien-yang-psp/

 

Song Bo??? @

 

Edited by meng.huat
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3 minutes ago, meng.huat said:

tcb-lhy-breakfast.jpg

 

photo6311952224342878645.jpg

 

photo6311952224342878636.jpg

 

photo6311952224342878646.jpg

 

photo6311952224342878647.jpg

 

photo6311952224342878648.jpg

 

Lee Hsien Yang is a PSP member, joins Tan Cheng Bock for breakfast meeting at Tiong Bahru market

He joined the party three months ago.

 

tcb-lhy-breakfast.jpg

 

Secretary-general of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), Tan Cheng Bock, met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's brother, Lee Hsien Yang, for a breakfast meeting on June 24 morning.

 

Due to the rain and early morning timing, the market was visibly less crowded even though the entourage garnered some public attention.

Joining them are three other members from the Central Executive Committee, including assistant secretary-general Leong Mun Wai as well as members Yuen Kin Pheng, Francis, and Michael Chua.

 

All five of them were spotted in the PSP party red and white polo-shirt.

The Straits Times reported that Lee has joined the party as a member "for quite some time" and Tan gave Lee the party's membership card this morning.

While speaking to the press, Tan said that Lee had joined the party about "three months ago".

 

When the media asked if he is contesting in the upcoming election, Lee said, "You'll find out".

It is also unclear if Lee is supporting the party financially but he told media "that's possible".

 

https://mothership.sg/2020/06/lee-hsien-yang-psp/

 

Song Bo??? @

 

Wow... Tis is getting interesting

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1 hour ago, Satki said:

about time we see Westminster style parliament

 

 

none of those BS with kids glove stuff

 

 

 

 

unfortunately, asian countries have a higher proportion of voters who r more easily brainwashed compared to other developed democracies.

 

best example is sgp and closed behind r either bolehland  or taiwan.

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GE2020: Workers' Party to contest 4 GRCs, 2 SMCs

 

SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party will contest in four Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and two Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) at the upcoming General Election, party leader Pritam Singh said on Thursday (Jun 25).

The party will field candidates in Aljunied, Marine Parade, Sengkang and East Coast GRCs, as well as Hougang and Punggol West SMCs.

 

It will contest 21 seats in total: Five seats each in Aljunied, Marine Parade and East Coast GRCs, four seats in the new Sengkang GRC, one in Hougang SMC and another in the new Punggol West SMC. 

In the 2015 General Election, the Workers' Party contested 28 seats in total, in Aljunied, Jalan Besar, Marine Parade, East Coast and Nee Soon GRCs, as well as Hougang, Punggol East, MacPherson, Sengkang West and Fengshan SMCs.

Mr Low Thia Khiang, Mr Chen Show Mao and Mr Png Eng Huat will not run in the upcoming General Election, said Mr Singh, adding that they are "not retiring".

Mr Singh was speaking to reporters as the party unveiled its first four prospective candidates for the General Election. 

He said: "I think we have the best candidates that we can find ... and we want them to represent (Singaporeans) and represent them well. 

"If we can find more candidates ... of course, we can consider fielding for more seats. But I think it's important for us to focus our efforts and ensure that the candidates that we put forward can do well for the Workers' Party."

He said the party will reveal over the next few days how many candidates will be new and how many will be standing again for election. 

"It will be a tough General Election, but I'm looking forward to it like the rest of the Workers' Party," he added.

 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/ge2020-workers-party-aljunied-east-coast-marine-parade-sengkang-12869558

 

LTK CSM and ah huat are not running!

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