Election Day

Thank goodness we lived in Singapore long enough to witness an election because it was certainly an educational (not to mention entertaining) experience.

In mid-April the president of Singapore dissolved Parliament, an act that customarily occurs every five years. Once Parliament is dissolved, elections must be held within 3 months. This time around the election date was set only a few weeks away, creating a hectic atmosphere for candidates.

I'll spare you the gritty details about Singaporean's government that I don't fully understand myself, but the important thing to know is that one political party, the People's Action Party (PAP) has dominated Singapore since its independence in 1965. When Parliament was dissolved, PAP members held 86 of the 87 seats. Yes, it's really been a one-party system all along.

I'll admit I didn't follow the election news very closely, mostly because I can't vote and I lost track of all the opposition parties vying for seats in the May 7 election. What I did find fascinating were the campaign rules established by the government. No Parliament candidate can advertise in print, radio or TV. They may not even hold public gatherings unless it's been approved by government officials. In the past, candidates have had to be extremely careful in their speeches or risk being sued. It's hard to imagine these campaign restrictions in the US.

Since the candidates cannot advertise in traditional media, they rely mostly on organized political rallies to attract voters. While these rallies became a thorn in the side for anyone attempting to drive through those neighborhoods, I appreciated the traditional appeal of the gatherings. 

What made this election unique for Singapore is that for the first time, the government legalized Internet-based campaigning, so candidates were free to harness social media to convey their messages. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter played huge roles in generating excitement for opposition candidates. I was impressed the government allowed such free speech and it certainly appealed to the young voters. And since voting in Parliament and Presidential elections is mandatory for all Singaporeans, the parties don't have to worry about voter turnout!

The main issues for voters in this election were rising costs, particularly in housing, and the widening income gap among Singaporeans. They also expressed concern over a sharp increase of foreign workers here, who now make up about one-third of the population of five million.

When I read about the election results in Sunday's newspaper, one would have thought the People's Action Party had been toppled. The media reported that the PAP received its lowest percentage of votes ever and lost the most Parliament seats in history. The results: PAP won 60 percent of the vote and won 81 out of 87 seats in Parliament. While it still looks like one-party dominance to me, apparently the voters sent a message to its ruling party because Prime Minister Lee said, "Many Singaporeans wish for the government to adopt a different style and approach. We hear your voice. The PAP will learn from this election and put right what is wrong."

Singaporeans were definitely energized by the election and analysts are saying the results show that voters believe a one-party system is outdated. With one party holding 81 of 87 seats, I'd say they have a long way to go but it's at least a start.

And on a side note, the government declared today a public holiday following the Parliament election. The funny part was that both SAS and Blue House Nursery still had school despite the holiday, so I just had Brian home with me today. Naturally he was happy to have another long weekend!