Singapore goes to polls but outcome is certain

The People's Action Party will claim yet another blazing victory. Opposition parties are contesting only 47 out of 84 seats, and they are first to admit that victory for the party in power is a foregone conclusion.

Singapore (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The people of Singapore are going to the polls today but the result of the election is a foregone conclusion. The People's Action Party (PAP), the party in government that has not lost an election since 1959, will claim its umpteenth victory despite strong opposition in the last 20 years.

The country is divided into 84 seats: the opposition has fielded candidates to contest 47 seats, a record since the 1988 elections. But it is the first to admit it will not manage to get a majority. In fact, PAP has no opposition for 37 seats. In the last election in 2001, PAP got 82 seats and only two went to the opposition.

"Show us your support and give us a strong mandate. It is crucial to take you into the future and move forward together," said the 54-year-old Lee Hsien Loong, PAP candidate. Lee is the son of 82-year-old Lee Kuan Yew, one of the independence leaders of the small south-east Asian state. He has occupied the prime minister's seat for two years, that is, since 64-year-old Goh Chok Tong let go of the reins of power according to a pre-ordained plan.

Some critics say the vote could hold some surprises. "This election is an extremely important one," said political commentator Seah Chiang Nee. "People are starting to question whether it's a good idea to have such a strong one-party rule without proper checks and balances." So it will be important to heed the percentage of votes for PAP: the benchmark is the 75% of votes it obtained in 2001.

The three opposition parties are the Workers' Party, the Singapore Democratic Alliance and the Singapore Democratic Party, and their ability to access the media is severely restricted.

The economy weighs in favour of the government: after a growth rate of 6.4% recorded last year, the economy grew by 9.1% in the first three months of 2006. The currency is strong and unemployment and inflation are below rates in western countries.

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