Sawt Falasteen - Singapore ruling party headed for clear victory in test for new PM

Sample results showed the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) winning all but ten seats of the 97-seat parliament.

Wong was facing his first major test against a rejuvenated opposition and had urged voters for a strong show of support as he navigated the trade-oriented nation through global economic uncertainties brought by US tariffs.

The PAP, which has steered the island to prosperity while being criticised for suppressing dissent, was always expected to easily retain a clear majority in parliament.

However, its dominance has been increasingly challenged by a more vocal electorate over the years.

Popular after leading Singapore's Covid task force, Wong took over last year from his predecessor Lee Hsien Loong, the son of founding premier Lee Kuan Yew who ruled the island state after its bitter break-up with Malaysia in 1965.

Wong had warned Singapore would be hit hard if Trump went ahead with the tariffs he announced and then paused for most countries, except China, and needed to stay open and competitive to counter their effects.

He has also said the ructions caused may require a major restructuring of Singapore's economy.

- Scandals -

The overwhelming PAP majority in Singapore's unicameral legislature has become a norm in the wealthy island's political landscape.

But in the run-up to the latest polls, the PAP has faced a series of controversies.

Former premier Lee Hsien Loong is locked in a bitter feud with his brother Lee Hsien Yang who vehemently supports the opposition and who has sought political asylum in Britain.

The long-running family row centres on allegations made by Lee Hsien Yang that his brother is seeking to block the demolition of a family bungalow to capitalise on Lee Kuan Yew's legacy -- something he has denied.

Last year former transport minister S. Iswaran was thrown in jail for graft and in 2023, the parliament speaker and an MP resigned over an "inappropriate" affair.

At the same time, younger voters showed increasing receptive to alternative political voices.

One voter told AFP she had been impressed by "refreshing and exciting" new candidates from across the political spectrum.

"Whether or not they get elected, I hope we see and hear more of them, and get to know them better," said 40-year-old Shi'ai Liang.

- Crowds at opposition rallies -

In 2020, the country's largest opposition group, the Workers' Party (WP), made historic gains, winning 10 of the 93 seats at stake -- a significant jump from its previously held four seats.

The WP -- which has become politically slicker -- has been hoping to build on that momentum with a slate of charismatic candidates, including a top lawyer.

The party pulled in massive crowds at its rallies during the campaign, just like in previous elections, but those big numbers have seldom translated into electoral wins in the past.

Campaigning on cost of living issues, WP candidates said more opposition MPs were needed in parliament so that the PAP does not have a "blank cheque" and can be held accountable.

The PAP, however, pointed to the billions of Singapore dollars it has spent in helping citizens cope with rising costs, including via cash handouts and grocery vouchers.

"Every election is important because it serves as a reminder to the first estate that the third still has a voice in shaping the future of our country," 45-year-old Wong Jun Heng told AFP after voting.

H.Nasr--SF-PST