Singapore has dissolved its parliament in accordance with constitutional provisions as the country prepares for its upcoming national election. After consulting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam officially announced the dissolution on Monday. Elections are expected to be held within the next three months.
Since gaining independence in 1965, the People’s Action Party (PAP) has remained in power in the Southeast Asian nation, winning every election to date. Analysts attribute this consistent success to the party’s widespread popularity and the lack of any strong political opposition.
The question now is not whether PAP will win, but by what margin. In the last general election in 2020, although PAP emerged victorious, the party saw a decline in performance compared to previous elections.
Over the past decade, opposition parties have been gradually gaining ground. In a historic outcome in 2020, opposition parties secured 10 seats in parliament—the highest in Singapore’s political history. Prior to that, opposition representation had never reached double digits.
This upcoming election will be a major test for current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who has been serving in the role since May 2024 following the resignation of former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Singapore, a nation with a land area of 735.7 square kilometers and a population of 6.04 million, operates a unicameral legislature known as the Parliament of Singapore, which consists of 115 seats.