Singapore: Singapore will head to the polls on May 3, marking the first general election since Prime Minister Lawrence Wong took office last year.
The upcoming vote is being seen as a key political test for Wong, who succeeded long-serving leader Lee Hsien Loong after his 20-year tenure at the helm.
The nine-day campaign is expected to focus heavily on the rising cost of living, housing needs, job security, and healthcare demands, particularly as Singapore’s population continues to age.
The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which has governed the city-state since self-rule began in 1959, is widely expected to retain power. However, the party is likely aiming to rebound from its relatively weaker showing in the 2020 elections, when it secured 83 out of 93 parliamentary seats.
Earlier today, I advised the President to dissolve Parliament and issue the Writ of Election. Nomination Day will be on Wednesday, 23 April. Polling Day will be on Saturday, 3 May. More details here: https://t.co/huyMuCOCRJ pic.twitter.com/nyz4SgTGD3
— Lawrence Wong (@LawrenceWongST) April 15, 2025
That result was seen as a wake-up call, with the opposition Workers’ Party clinching a historic 10 seats, its strongest performance since Singapore’s independence in 1965.
This time, 97 parliamentary seats will be contested. In February, PM Wong presented his first national budget, introducing a slew of tax rebates, cash handouts, and targeted sectoral support to alleviate cost-of-living pressures. The measures were widely seen by analysts as a “feel-good” budget aimed at strengthening public support ahead of the election.
Singapore’s political system shares similarities with the UK’s first-past-the-post model but includes unique features that make it more challenging for opposition parties.
One such feature is the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system, introduced in 1988 to ensure minority representation. Under this framework, larger constituencies are contested by teams of up to five candidates, rather than individuals.
Opposition parties have long argued that this system, along with frequent redrawing of electoral boundaries, disadvantages them, claims the government has consistently denied.
Financial barriers also remain high, with candidates required to pay a deposit of S$13,500 (approximately $9,700), refundable only if they win more than one-eighth of the vote.
With only four prime ministers since independence, all from the PAP, Singapore’s political continuity has been a defining feature.
