Singapore avoids recession: what does it mean for Lee Hsien Loong’s election timetable?

Elections are not due until April 2021 but there have been recent indications the prime minister intends to call a snap vote within months

Weak GDP figures may have accelerated Lee’s planning as Singaporean voters tend to back his ruling People’s Action Party during periods of uncertainty

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Photo: AP

Published: 8:04am, 14 Oct 2019Updated: 5:55pm, 18 Dec 2019

Singapore’s economy avoided an expected technical recession in the third quarter, preliminary data released on Monday showed, adding a fresh twist to speculation about when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will call a general election.

Some observers had predicted weak GDP figures – especially if the country slipped into a technical recession – could compel Lee to call a snap vote sooner rather than later given the tendency of Singaporean voters to back his ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) during periods of uncertainty.

Elections are not due until April 2021 but there have been recent indications the prime minister intends to call a snap vote within months.

The poll will be the last election before the 67-year-old leader, in power since 2004, hands over the prime ministership to his named successor, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.

Heng Swee Keat, Singapore's finance minister, speaks during the Bridge Forum conference in San Francisco, California. Photo: Bloomberg

Government data released on Monday showed the trade-reliant economy – often regarded as a regional bellwether – grew by 0.6 per cent from the previous quarter, after adjustments for seasonal swings. The economy contracted by 2.7 per cent in the second quarter, making it one of the worst three-month periods for the Singaporean economy in years.