Singapore’s ruling party retained a firm grip on power but suffered its weakest performance in 55 years in office in an election on Friday, with the economy badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The result could shake up politics in the city-state, leading to more populist policies.
The opposition Workers’ Party won a record 10 seats and secured two group representation constituencies. The ruling party won 83 seats — or 89 percent of those up for grabs, according to an official count by the Elections Department. That allows it to amend the constitution, pass laws and set policies without major obstacles.
Even so, it’s a setback for the People’s Action Party, which has always won at least 93 percent of parliamentary seats since Singapore became an independent nation in 1965. The result could potentially disrupt Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s succession plan. It may also spur the government to adopt more reactive policies as it did in the wake of the 2011 election, when the opposition tripled its seats to six.