Singapore to hold general election on July 10: PM

The polling day would be on July 10, it said. (Pexels photo)

SINGAPORE – Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday he has advised President Halimah Yacob to dissolve the parliament and issue the Writ of Election.

He made the remarks in a live address to the nation.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the president, on the advice of Lee, has dissolved the parliament on Tuesday and issued the Writ of Election.

Lee also advised the nomination day to be on June 30 and the president has agreed, said the statement.

The polling day would be on July 10, it said.

Lee said in his address that the upcoming election would be like no other that Singapore has ever experienced, not just because of the special arrangements to deal with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) but also the gravity of the situation and the issues at stake.

The new government will have “critical decisions” to make, he said, adding that these decisions would impact the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans and shape Singapore for many years to come, far beyond the five-year term of the next government.

After the election, the new government can focus on the national agenda, including the pandemic, the economy, and jobs, the prime minister said.

When asked whether voters can vote safely, and political parties can campaign effectively, he said these were the two issues that he took into consideration before calling the election.

“After studying the issues, I am satisfied that both of these can be done,” he added.

On June 30, the candidate (or group of candidates) must be accompanied by a proposer, a seconder, and at least four assentors when delivering the Nomination Paper at nine Nomination Places across Singapore.

This could be Singapore’s first general election without physical rallies due to the social distancing measures in the wake of Covid-19.

Singapore’s last general election took place in September 2015. (Xinhua)