First Public Evaluation of the Lawrence Wong Administration
Attention on Whether the Opposition Will Expand Its Seats
Singapore's early general election began simultaneously at 8:00 a.m. local time on May 3, with voting taking place across 33 constituencies nationwide. This election is drawing attention as the first test of both the People's Action Party (PAP), which has been in power for more than 60 years since the establishment of self-government in 1959, and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who took office last year.
A total of 97 parliamentary seats are being contested by 11 political parties and independent candidates. Voting is taking place in 15 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 18 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). The PAP has already secured victory in five constituencies where it ran unopposed. The main opposition Workers' Party (WP) has fielded candidates in 26 constituencies. Only six parties have nominated candidates in more than 10 constituencies.
The PAP is widely expected to win this election as well. Since Singapore's independence in 1965, the PAP has enjoyed overwhelming support in every general election. In the 2020 general election, the PAP won 83 out of 93 seats, demonstrating its dominance as the ruling party. However, the WP secured 10 seats, leading to an assessment that the result was a "virtual defeat" for the PAP. For the first time, the PAP's share of parliamentary seats fell below 90%, and its vote share hit a record low of 61.2%.
Although the law only required the general election to be held by November, the government dissolved parliament and called an early election, citing the need to secure new political momentum. Under Singapore's political system, where the prime minister is chosen through party leadership discussions rather than internal primaries, a PAP victory in this election will mean that Prime Minister Wong's administration will remain in place.
The government is appealing to voters by emphasizing the policy continuity of the PAP amid external economic risks such as global supply chain instability and U.S.-China tensions. On the other hand, persistent inflation, rising living costs, and widening income inequality are expected to be unfavorable factors for the ruling party.
Singapore operates a rare compulsory voting system, and approximately 2.76 million eligible voters aged 21 and above are expected to participate in this election. Voting will conclude at 8:00 p.m. on the same day.
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