Singapore polls

Huge rallies boost opposition hopes

AFP, SINGAPORE: Singaporeans vote in snap elections Friday that the opposition hopes will dramatically boost its presence in parliament and challenge half a century of ruling party domination, after huge crowds attended its campaign rallies.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called for polls 16 months ahead of schedule to secure a fresh mandate for the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been in power for 56 years and is widely expected to win another majority.
The PAP held 80 seats in the last parliament, with the Workers’ Party (WP) occupying the remaining seven—a record for an opposition that has survived a campaign of intimidation that saw some of its figures jailed as dissidents or bankrupted by libel suits.
It will be Singapore’s first election without independence leader Lee Kuan Yew—the father of the current premier—who is credited with Singapore’s rapid rise to prosperity when he was in power for three decades.

Singapore polls

Huge rallies boost opposition hopes

AFP, SINGAPORE: Singaporeans vote in snap elections Friday that the opposition hopes will dramatically boost its presence in parliament and challenge half a century of ruling party domination, after huge crowds attended its campaign rallies. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called for polls 16 months ahead of schedule to secure a fresh mandate for the Peoples Action Party (PAP), which has been in power for 56 years and is widely expected to win another majority. The PAP held 80 seats in the last parliament, with the Workers Party (WP) occupying the remaining sevena record for an opposition that has survived a campaign of intimidation that saw some of its figures jailed as dissidents or bankrupted by libel suits. It will be Singapores first election without independence leader Lee Kuan Yewthe father of the current premierwho is credited with Singapores rapid rise to prosperity when he was in power for three decades.