Today's Edition
Bangkok (dpa)
The People's Action Party (PAP) has won another parliamentary landslide in Singapore's general election on Saturday, taking 87 seats in the 97-member parliament.
Since the South-East Asian country became independent 60 years ago, there have only been four prime ministers, and the PAP has dominated politics in that time.
Nevertheless, the PAP's unquestioned dominance has begun to weaken in recent years.
In the last election in 2020, the Workers' Party (WP) - the main opposition force - was able to secure 10 of the 93 seats in parliament, a jump of six seats. In this election the WP held all 10.
Observers expect the WP to do even better this time due to the contribution of young new voters who want democratic reforms.
However, amid the unstable global situation, the opposition ultimately failed to achieve such success.
Current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong came into power last year, succeeding long-time premier Lee Hsien Loong. The vote was also seen as the first test of his popularity.
The 52-year-old called the clear victory "a clear signal of trust, stability and confidence" of Singaporeans in their government.
The election comes at an important time, with the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump hitting the small country particularly hard, given that it relies so much on exports.
Singapore is one of the richest countries per capita in the world, and has a population of about 6 million people.
In mid-April, the Trade Ministry lowered its growth forecast for 2025 from the range 1-3% to 0-2%.
Famous for its technology and innovation, Singapore is also known for its strict criminal laws.
