GE: S'pore's Parliament dissolved for 14th General Election

From CNA

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Parliament has been dissolved for the 14th General Election in the country.

The Proclamation was issued by President SR Nathan through the government gazette on Tuesday afternoon.

Some 2.35 million voters are eligible to vote in the coming polls.

There will be 87 wards, three more than the 84 in the 2006 General Election.

The 87 wards have been carved out into 12 single member constituencies and 15 group representation constituencies (GRCs)

The 12 single member constituencies are Bukit Panjang, Hong Kah North, Hougang, Joo Chiat, Mountbatten, Pioneer, Potong Pasir, Punggol East, Radin Mas, Sengkang West, Whampoa and Yuhua.

The GRCs have been carved out as four, five and six member GRCs.

The four-member GRCs are Moulmein-Kallang and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

There are 11 five-member GRCs.

These are Aljunied, Bishan-Toa Payoh, Chua Chu Kang, East Coast, Jurong, Marine Parade, Nee Soon, Sembawang, Tampines, Tanjong Pagar and West Coast.

Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRCs will have six candidates each.

Ang Mo Kio GRC with 178,933 voters is the largest GRC for this election while Bukit Panjang with 33,035 voters is the largest single member division.

The changes were contained in the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee Report which was made public on February 24.

Six key political parties in Singapore are contesting the General Election.

The People's Action Party has introduced 24 new candidates with many of them are in their thirties and forties.

The PAP said its slate includes the fourth generation of leaders to take Singapore beyond the year 2020.

18 incumbent Members of Parliament, including two Cabinet Ministers and the current Speaker of Parliament are retiring while two other MPs, the late Dr Ong Chit Chung and the late Dr Balaji Sadasivan, had passed on.

The opposition parties contesting the polls include the Workers' Party, the Singapore People's Party, the Singapore Democratic Party, the National Solidarity Party, the Reform Party and the Singapore Democratic Alliance.

They too have introduced several candidates who are scholars and former administrative service officers with the Singapore government.

The opposition Workers' Party held the Hougang ward in the last Parliament and its Chairman Sylvia Lim is a Non-Constituency MP.

The Workers' Party, led by its Secretary-General, Low Thia Khiang, is expected to contest the most number of wards in the coming polls.

Among the constituencies, the Party has expressed its intention to contest include the Aljunied GRC, East Coast GRC, Moulmein-Kallang GRC and Nee Soon GRC and several single member wards apart from Hougang, which it held in the last Parliament.

The Singapore People's Party had one MP, Mr Chiam See Tong in the Potong Pasir division.

Mr Chiam will be contesting the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC which is is helmed by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.

The SPP will also be contesting in Potong Pasir and Hong Kah North.

Making her debut in this election is Mrs Lina Chiam, wife of Mr Chiam See Tong.

She will be standing in Potong Pasir and will face the PAP's Sitoh Yih Pin who is contesting the ward for the third time after losing twice to Mr Chiam in the last two elections.

For the Singapore Democratic Party, it is contesting in the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and the Bukit Panjang and Yuhua single member constituencies.

The National Solidarity Party will be contesting in the Jurong, Chua Chu Kang and Tampines GRCs and has expressed interest in the Marine Parade GRC too.

Recently, the NSP decided not to stand in the Moulmein-Kallang GRC to avoid a three-cornered fight as the Workers' Party plans to field a team there.

Among the single seats NSP will be contesting include Mountbatten and Whampoa.

The newest opposition party is the Reform Party, led by Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam, who is the son of the late JB Jeyaretnam.

The party has staked a claim in the West Coast GRC and also the single seats of Pioneer and Radin Mas.

The Singapore Democratic Alliance is led by Secretary-General, Desmond Lim. The party intends to contest the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and several single member constituencies in the east and west of Singapore.

The only independent candidate who has announced his candidacy so far is Andrew Kuan who intends to contest in the Joo Chia single seat, which is also eyed by the Workers' Party.

The Returning Officer for the General Election is Mr Yam Ah Mee, the Chief Executive of the People's Association.

- CNA/fa