The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) won 83 of the 93 parliamentary seats in Singapore’s general election, Returning Officer Tan Meng Dui said on Saturday. The PAP won the election with 61.24 percent of votes, compared to 69.86 percent in last election in 2015. The Workers’ Party (WP), which got six seats in the 2015 election, won 10 seats this year.
Singapore’s ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has retained power in Friday’s general election but with a reduced majority, final results show.
The PAP, in power since 1965, won 83 of 93 parliamentary seats or 61.24% of the vote – down from nearly 70% it had in the 2015 poll.
The opposition Workers’ Party secured 10 seats – its best result.
The election was widely seen as a referendum on the government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The small city state is one of only a handful of countries to have held a vote during the pandemic. Strict safety measures were put in place, with voters wearing gloves and masks and given timed voting slots.
Singapore has been one of the worst hit countries in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 45,000 cases.
As large-scale gatherings and events are deemed a high risk during the pandemic, only a few countries have gone ahead with national elections during the past months.
South Korea voted in April while Serbia went to the polls in late June. In both countries, voters returned the incumbent government to power.
– Source: News websites
