Singapore's long-ruling party seeks stronger election victory in test for new prime minister

SINGAPORE — Singaporeans will vote Saturday in a general election that is set to return to power the city-state's long ruling party, and it will be closely watched as a gauge of public confidence in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's leadership.

The People's Action Party has won every election since the Asian financial hub gained independence in 1965. Wong, who took office last year, hopes to clinch a stronger mandate after the PAP suffered a setback in 2020 polls over voters' rising discontent with the government.

Here's what to know about the Singapore election.

How does the vote work?

Singapore holds a general election every five years and voting is compulsory. Its electoral system involves single-member wards along with group representation constituencies (GRCs) where voters pick a team of up to six members rather than individual candidates. The team includes at least one member from a minority ethnic group.

The GRCs ensure minority representation in Parliament, but critics say they entrench the PAP and make it harder for the opposition to contest. Ethnic Chinese are the majority in Singapore, while Malays and Indians are in the minority.

Nearly 2.76 million voters are registered to elect 97 members of Parliament, but five seats have already been won uncontested by the PAP after the opposition failed to nominate candidates in a GRC. There are 33 constituencies, comprising 15 single-member wards and 18 GRCs.

Voting opens at 8 a.m. (OOOO GMT), runs for 12 hours, and results are expected the same night.

What's at stake?

The election is the first test for Wong, 52, since he succeeded Lee Hsien Loong, who stepped down last year after two decades at the helm. Lee's departure marked the end of a family dynasty started by his father, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first leader, who built the former colonial backwater into one of the world's richest nations during 31 years in office.

Known for its clean and effective governance, the PAP is seen as a beacon of stability and prosperity. While it is assured of victory, its support is being chipped away by unhappiness over government control and a high cost of living. Widening income disparity, increasingly unaffordable housing, overcrowding caused by immigration and restrictions on free speech have also loosened the PAP's grip on power.

In 2020 polls, the PAP's share of popular support slipped to a near-record low of 61%, down from nearly 70% in 2015. The PAP kept 83 out of 93 parliamentary seats, but it ceded more seats to the opposition, which won 10 seats, the most ever.

The opposition has acknowledged it cannot unseat the PAP but is appealing to voters for a stronger voice in Parliament.

Wong, a U.S.-trained economist and former finance minister, warned this would only weaken the government as it navigates economic turbulence following U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff hikes. The government has lowered its growth forecast, and warned of a possible recession.

''If the PAP has a weakened mandate, you can be sure there will be people tempted to push us around. It will be harder for us to advance Singapore's interest. But with a clear mandate from you, my team and I can speak up for Singapore confidently,'' Wong said while campaigning this week.

The PAP has fielded many new faces to refresh the party. Wong offered cash handouts, vouchers and other goodies in this year's national budget, and sought to engage younger voters in developing a more balanced and inclusive Singapore. A strong PAP performance would help seal Wong's leadership and determine whether the one-party dominance in Singapore could endure over the next decade.

''The ruling party has portrayed the ongoing tariffs war as a crisis for trade-reliant Singapore,'' said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University. ''Will voters rally behind the PAP, or will they come to view the political system ... as being robust enough and can accommodate more political diversity and competition?''

Who are the PAP's rivals?

The Workers Party, led by lawyer Pritam Singh, is the biggest opposition party and the only one with a presence in Parliament. Singh was named as Singapore's first opposition leader after the WP won 10 seats in the 2020 polls. But despite gaining ground over the years, the opposition still struggles with limited resources and talent, and fragmented support.

The WP is fielding only 26 candidates in this election. Singh has said even if the WP won all 26 seats, it wouldn't hamper the PAP but lead to a more balanced political system and greater accountability. The remaining seats are contested by nine smaller opposition parties and coalitions, as well as two independent candidates.

''The WP threat is taken seriously by the PAP and it will be a keener contest than in 2020. It remains to be seen how many more seats it will win. But even an additional seat won will add to the WP's standing and builds on the momentum to erode the one-party dominant system,'' said law professor Tan.