Singapore's ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has won the city-state's general elections on Friday. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has returned to power, winning 83 of the 93 seats contested in the General Election, even as the Opposition registered minor gains.
Returning Officer Tan Meng Dui said that Singapore's ruling PAP won the election held amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, with 61.24 per cent of votes, compared to 69.86 per cent in the last election in 2015.
68-year-old Lee was re-elected from his Group Representation Constituency (GRC) of Ang Mo Kio. The prime minister led his party's GRC team of Gan Thiam Poh, Darryl David, Ng Ling Ling and Nadia Ahmad Samdin.
Deputy PM Heng Swee Keat re-elected
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat was also re-elected. His team included Maliki Osman, Jessica Tan, Cheryl Chan and Tan Kiat How of the East Coast GRC.
Heng, along with his East Coast GRC team members, won with 53.41 per cent of the votes. Heng moved from Tampines GRC to East Coast GRC this year.
The Workers' Party (WP), which got six seats in the 2015 election, won 10 this year.
A total of 191 candidates from 11 political parties and an independent candidate competed for 93 seats in the election, which is organized into 14 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 17 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs).
PAP won 83 seats from 13 SMCs and 15 GRCs
The PAP won the 83 seats from 13 SMCs and 15 GRCs, while WP retained the 10 seats from Hougang SMC, Aljunied GRC and Sengkang GRC.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his team won Ang Mo Kio GRC with 71.91 per cent of the votes.
Lee told a press conference that the percentage of popular votes the PAP won in the election was not as high as he had hoped.
Nevertheless, the result reflected broad-based supports for the PAP, he added.
The prime minister, also PAP's Secretary-General, said he was honoured by the faith Singaporeans had put in the ruling party and the heavy responsibility Singaporeans had entrusted with the party.
"I will use this mandate responsibly to deal with COVID-19 and economic downturn, and to take us safely through the crisis and beyond," he said.
The PAP took 83 of the 89 seats in the 2015 election with 69.86 per cent of the popular votes, which was higher than the 60.14 per cent gain in 2011.
Some 2.65 million people were eligible to vote in Saturday's elections, the 13th since independence.
(With agency inputs)
