SINGAPORE TO HOLD GENERAL ELECTION ON MAY 3

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, April 15 (Bernama) -- Singapore dissolved its Parliament on Tuesday, paving the way for the country’s 14th general election on May 3.

Nomination Day has been set for April 23.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated that President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, on the advice of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, has dissolved Parliament on Tuesday.

The polls will see the election of 97 members of parliament (MPs) – an increase from the previous 93 elected MPs – following the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s recommendations.

Over 2.75 million Singaporeans will be eligible to vote in the upcoming general election.

Meanwhile, Wong said he called the general election to allow Singaporeans to decide on the team to lead the nation at a critical juncture, as the world is witnessing profound changes.

“It is becoming more uncertain, unsettled and even unstable. The global conditions that enabled Singapore’s success over the past decades may no longer hold.

“That is why I have called this general election. At this critical juncture, Singaporeans should decide on the team to lead our nation, and to chart our way forward together,” he said in a post on Facebook.

This will be Wong’s first election as prime minister and secretary-general of the People’s Action Party (PAP).

Wong was sworn in as Singapore’s fourth prime minister in May last year, taking over the reins from long-time premier Lee Hsien Loong. He was later elected to lead the party in December.

Last week, Wong announced that he would contest to defend his Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) seat with the same slate of incumbents – Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, North West District Mayor Alex Yam, and Hany Soh – in the four-member GRC.

--  BERNAMA