Parties, policies, personalities in focus as campaigning starts amid Covid-19

Singapore

AFTER a week of unveiled manifestoes and candidate introductions, Nomination Day today will see political parties' slates set in stone, followed by the kick-off of campaigning for July 10's General Election (GE).

Since the Writ of Election was issued on June 23, parties have ramped up efforts both online and on the ground, with most major announcements taking place digitally due to Covid-19 safety measures.

In a livestreamed speech on Saturday, Prime Minister and ruling People's Action Party (PAP) secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong presented the party's manifesto. With this being no "normal election", the manifesto 'Our Lives, Our Jobs, Our Future' focuses uncharacteristically on the immediate term goal of overcoming the Covid-19 crisis, though still setting out a vision for a long-term future.

The Workers' Party (WP), the only opposition party with parliamentary incumbents, released its manifesto on Sunday. Titled "Make Your Vote Count", it focuses on policy areas such as education and social policy, jobs, and the cost of living, as well as the need for robust institutions.

The Singapore Democratic Party, having launched its manifesto back in September 2019, is campaigning on four yes's and one no: in favour of suspending the Goods and Services Tax until end-2021, retrenchment benefits, a monthly S$500 retirement income for the elderly, and "putting people first"; and against growing Singapore's population to 10 million.

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And on the eve of Nomination Day, the Progress Singapore Party revealed its manifesto "You Deserve Better", presenting alternative policies for economic development, social and political development.

Candidates were also presented - and scrutinised. Three days after being introduced in the PAP's first batch of new faces on June 24, Ivan Lim withdrew his candidacy on Saturday, following a slew of allegations online about past elitist behaviour.

Unlike GE2015, when the PAP introduced new candidates by their respective group representation constituencies (GRCs), not all of the intended teams - nor all the retiring incumbents - were known by Nomination Day eve.

Long anticipated as the proving ground of the PAP's fourth generation or 4G leadership, this GE is one for leadership renewal, with the retirement of veterans such as Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

After 30 years in Parliament, former WP chief Low Thia Khiang will not be standing in this GE, which is also the first election for the WP under the leadership of current secretary-general Pritam Singh.

All 93 seats in 31 constituencies are expected to be contested when nomination proceedings conclude this afternoon, which would make this the second GE in Singapore's post-independence history where all seats were contested, after GE2015.

In a speech on Saturday, Mr Singh argued that the opposition should ideally hold at least a third of elected seats in Parliament, to deny the ruling party the two-thirds majority needed for Constitutional amendments.

Asked by the media about this argument, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said it was important for the PAP to have a clear mandate, to empower it to tackle the challenges ahead.

Given that all seats will likely be contested, having all voters "take a risk" and vote for the opposition under the assumption that the PAP will remain in power is "not something (he) would recommend", he added.

A record 10 opposition parties are expected to take the field, with the possibility of multi-cornered fights in some constituencies. All will become clear after this morning, after roughly 200 candidates head to nine nomination centres islandwide to file their papers between 11am and noon.

With the Covid-19 outbreak, this will be a quieter Nomination Day than in the past, with safe distancing measures and a lack of cheering supporters. But there will still be plenty to watch, including last-minute swaps and the appearance of independents.

There is also the question of whether all aspiring candidates will be able to find the required assentors, with some parties still publicly searching for assentors on social media as of Monday evening.

After nomination proceedings end, the Returning Officer will announce the candidates nominated for each electoral division and issue the notice of contested elections.

From that moment, the race is on and the first day of campaigning then begins.

For Nomination Day developments and other news on the Singapore GE2020, go to bt.sg/ge2020