Getty imagesThe Action Party of Persons in Power of Singapore (PAP) won by a landslide during an election dominated by concerns concerning the cost of living and the future economic stability of the country.
Directed by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his first election since his being who became party leader last year, the PAP won 65.6% of the votes and an overwhelming majority of the 97 seats in Parliament.
The Singaporeans went on Saturday to worry about inflation, the stagnation of wages and job prospects.
The result will be largely considered to be a flight to security towards the PAP among the fears of world turbulence.
“Singapore feels particularly vulnerable since the size and exposure of its economy to international forces … We are also risky voters,” said Ian Chong, associate professor in political science at the National University of Singapore (naked).
The main opposition, the workers’ center (WP), failed to capture more seats but continued to keep its 10 seats in Parliament.
The central-right PAP has ruled permanently since 1959, which makes him one of the longest political parties in the world.
He benefited from strong support from Singaporeans, in particular older generations who have seen the country flourish under the PAP rule.
But while the elections have been free from fraud and irregularities, criticisms also say that the party maintains an unfair advantage by Gerrymandering and closely controlled media.
During the last three surveys before the result of Saturday, the PAP saw two of its lowest voting actions, while the WP made increasing incursions to Parliament.
PAP won a reduced majority in the 2020 elections, in what was considered a referendum on their treatment of the cocovio epidemic.
But the result on Saturday saw the PAP resume its form, while the voters gave Wong a strong mandate.
In a television address early on Sunday, he thanked the voters and said the results “will put Singapore in a better position to deal with this turbulent world”.
“Many are looking closely at the elections, whether international media, investors or foreign governments, they would have taken note of this evening results,” he said.
“It is a clear signal of confidence, stability and confidence in your government. Singaporeans can also draw the strength of this and look at our future.”
Getty imagesWhile its open and globalized economy remains quite dynamic, Singapore has seen inflation increase in recent years.
The government has attributed this to external factors such as Ukrainian and Gaza wars and the disturbances of the supply chain. Critics, however, claim that a controversial hike on the goods and services tax exacerbated it.
With the US trade war in progress and an American price of 10%, the authorities and experts warned against the economy and possibly a technical recession.
In this context, the PAP campaigned on a message of stability.
Wong has repeatedly promised that his team “would lead Singapore through the storm”, while warning that if more opposition deputies were elected, he would lose ministers capable at a time when good governance was most necessary.
It was a message that sounds with many voters. A supporter of PAP, an owner of start-ups who did not want to be known as Amanda, told the BBC that his company had been affected by customers on break due to the economic climate.
“The opposite winds are not great, there is a lot of uncertainty … I want a party with experience [running the government]”She said.
Although the PAP has seen a series of scandals in recent years, including one involving a minister of the cabinet, it was hardly a subject of discussion during the electoral period. Analysts said it was further from the minds of people, more immediate concerns about the economy.
Getty imagesSome consider the result as a sign of confidence in Wong, which led the Covid working group of Singapore and became a familiar face when it was regularly addressed to the public during the pandemic.
“He has shown that he is capable, the cocovable working group giving him credibility. He was the director of this rudder … and he projects this stability for future global financial uncertainties,” said Rebecca Tan, professor of political science at NUS.
Wong is the first PAP Prime Minister to have improved the party’s votes in his first election. The previous PMS has experienced decreases in polls in what analysts used to call the “new PM” the effect “, or the reflection of voters’ uncertainty in a new leader.
The strong result of the PAP was also due in part to a fragmented opposition, with 10 parties against them. With a few exceptions, most of them played badly.
Teo Kay Key, a researcher at the Think Tank Institute of Policy Studies, said that despite the recent elections showing that there was a desire for political diversity, the last result “shows that people are satisfied with the number of opposition deputies” for the moment.
But, she added, the Singaporeans “also seem more selective” now when it comes to voting for the opposition, highlighting the performance of the WP.
The WP had campaigned on a cost of living platform and strengthen the safety net.
Although he has not won more seats, he also saw the increase in the shares of the votes in the constituencies she has kept and fights with the PAP in the others, cement his status as the strongest opposition party in the country.
It was achieved in a robust performance despite recent controversial cases involving a former worker deputy and WP chief Pritam Singh, who were both found guilty of lies in Parliament. Many in the WP support base believe that the case, against Singh in particular, was politically motivated.
Addressing supporters shortly after the results of his constituency were declared, Singh admitted that “it would always be a difficult election”.
But he added: “The slate is wiped, we start working again tomorrow, and we leave.”
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