Is Singapore heading to the polls this year, as ‘electoral drums start beating’?

An election is not due until 2025, but recent speeches by PM Lee Hsien Loong and his designated successor Lawrence Wong hint at an earlier vote

Against a backdrop of global troubles and internal issues, a decisive win in a snap vote would give Wong an ideal start as the nation’s fourth premier, observers say

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PM Lee Hsien Loong and DPM Lawrence Wong have recently urged citizens to continue to give the PAP broad support. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 9:30am, 23 Apr 2023Updated: 9:35am, 23 Apr 2023

Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has been strengthening its messaging about the need for strong leadership amid a harsh global environment, moves viewed as a sign that its top leaders may be gearing up for fresh polls.

A general election is not due until 2025, but major speeches this week by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his designated successor Lawrence Wong were hints that the vote could be held much earlier, political observers and party insiders said.

Lee and Wong’s speeches during parliamentary debate on the government’s legislative agenda for the remainder of its terms focused on foreign and domestic policies respectively, but both also included political messages.

Lee highlighted the US-China rivalry, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the fragmentation of the multilateral trading system as major risks for the republic.

To weather these simultaneous storms, Lee said unity among citizens was not enough – the city state’s leadership quality would also be crucial.

“Help me make this leadership succession, this leadership renewal a success for Singapore, and for you. Show your support for a government that works hard and works well for you,” Lee said.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong, at the tail end of his policy-focused speech, accused the opposition of populism and warned that his ascension to the prime ministership was not guaranteed. “I do not assume that the PAP will win the next general election or that I will inevitably take over as prime minister,” he said.

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