Backgrounder: Singapore's major political parties

As polling day for Singapore's next general election falls on May 6, political parties here have been engaged in campaigning activities in the past days.

The following is a brief introduction to major political parties in the Southeast Asian city state.

The People's Action Party

The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) was formed in 1954 with Lee Kuan Yew, who is now Singapore's Minister Mentor, being its first secretary general.

It has won 10 general elections and stayed in power since Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965.

Taking socialist democracy as its party philosophy, the 15,000- member PAP stressed a multi-racial and multi-religious focus, which treated the four major races, namely Chinese, Malay, Indians and Eurasians, equally in all areas of public service such as education, housing and health.

It trained and fielded some 20 new candidates in each general election to attain the so-called "self-renewal" of the party.

In the last general election held in November 2001, the PAP got 75 percent of the votes, the party's highest margin yet, and won 82 out of the 84 parliamentary seats.

The incumbent Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took over office from Goh Chok Tong, who is now the Senior Minister, in August 2004. Lee also became the party's secretary general in December of the same year.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng and Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean are PAP's first and second assistant secretary general respectively.

Having fielded candidates to contest all the 84 parliamentary seats in this year's election, which include 24 new faces, the PAP aims to gain a strong mandate from the people and win 83 seats.

With the election slogan of "Staying together, moving ahead," the PAP vows to create opportunities for each and every Singaporean, give the young the best start and encourage every citizen to play a role in the country's development, as stated in the party's manifesto released last month.

The PAP has secured 37 of the 84 parliamentary seats in seven uncontested Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) on nomination day on April 27, which include the two GRCs where Minister Mentor Lee and Senior Minister Goh are anchored.

However, it is for the first time since 1988 that the PAP did not win a majority of the total seats to declare victory in the general election on nomination day, and Prime Minister Lee will lead the PAP team to contest Ang Mo Kio GRC for the first time in 15 years.

The Workers' Party

The Workers' Party (WP), established in 1957, is the only opposition party that was formed before Singapore's independence and is still active at present.

The WP emphasizes a quality lifestyle where the dignity of the individual can be upheld and every Singaporean really matters.

With "You have a choice" as its slogan, the WP believes, as stated on its website, that checks and balances are necessary in any political system, and they are especially crucial in Singapore 's one-party dominant system.

It holds that the presence of opposition in Parliament is fundamental in ensuring that the people are heard.

The WP had one member in the last Parliament, which was dissolved on April 20 this year to pave the way for the upcoming general election.

In this year's election, the party has 20 candidates to contest four Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and three GRCs.

WP's secretary general Low Thia Khiang, who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Hougang SMC since 1991, will contest the same ward this time, while party chairman Sylvia Lim will lead a five- member team to contest Aljunied GRC.

The Singapore Democratic Alliance

The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), comprising the Singapore People's Party (SPP), the National Solidarity Party (NSP) , the Malay based Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura (PKMS) and the Singapore Justice Party (SJP), was formed just months before the last general election in 2001.

With the SPP being the dominant party in the alliance, the executive committee of the SDA hopes that all the other opposition parties will come into the alliance so as to combine their resources to help build up a strong viable alternative political institution to challenge and compete with the PAP.

It believes that only under a two-party political system can Singaporeans be assured of a truly democratic society as well as more check and balance for an accountable and transparent government.

The alliance fielded 13 candidates in the last general election, the largest number among the opposition parties. SDA's chairman Chiam See Tong retained Potong Pasir SMC where he has been the MP since 1984 and NSP's secretary general Steve Chia gained enough votes to be a Non-Constituency MP.

The SDA has 20 candidates, including Chiam and other leaders of the component parties, to contest four SMCs and three GRCs in this year's election.

The Singapore Democratic Party

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) was formed in 1980 with an emphasis on the bread-and-butter issues concerning the common people and an aim to entrench democracy for Singapore.

In the upcoming election, party chairman Ling How Doong is contesting a SMC and Chee Siok Chin, party secretary general Chee Soon Juan's sister is leading a six-member team in a GRC.

Chee Soon Juan, who can not stand in the coming general election because he was declared bankrupt earlier this year, and his sister are facing a lawsuit filed by the Prime Minister and the Minister Mentor last week.

They were accused of having disparaged the two state leaders' character and integrity in an article published in the latest issue of SDP's party newspaper, The New Democrat.

Source: Xinhua