GOVERNMENT
According
to the constitution, as amended in 1965, Singapore is a republic
with a parliamentary system of government. Political authority
rests with the prime minister and the cabinet. The prime minister
is the leader of the political party or coalition of parties having
the majority of seats in Parliament. The president, who is chief
of state, previously exercised only ceremonial duties. As a result
of 1991 constitutional changes, the president is now elected and
exercises expanded powers over legislative appointments, government
budgetary affairs, and internal security matters.
The unicameral Parliament currently consists of 84 members elected on the basis of universal adult suffrage, and up to nine "nominated" members of Parliament. A constitutional provision assures at least three opposition members, even if fewer than three actually are elected. A "nonconstituency" seat held by the opposition under this provision since 1997 was again filled after the last election held on May 6, 2006. In the May 2006 general election, the governing People's Action Party (PAP) won 82 of the 84 seats. The president appoints nominated members of Parliament from among nominations by a special select committee. Nominated members of Parliament (NMP's) enjoy the same privileges as members of Parliament but cannot vote on constitutional matters or expenditures of funds. The maximum term of anyone in Parliament is 5 years. NMP's serve for two and a half year terms. Voting has been compulsory since 1959.
Judicial
power is vested in the High Court and the Court of Appeal. The
High Court exercises original criminal and civil jurisdiction
in serious cases as well as appellate jurisdiction from subordinate
courts. Its chief justice, senior judge, and six judges are appointed
by the president. Appeals from the High Court are heard by the
Court of Appeal. The right of appeal to the Privy Council in London
was abolished effective April 1994.
POLITICAL
CONDITIONS
The ruling political party in Singapore, reelected continuously since 1959, is the People's Action Party (PAP), headed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The PAP has held the overwhelming majority of seats in Parliament since 1966, when the opposition Barisan Sosialis Party (Socialist Front), a left-wing group that split off from the PAP in 1961, resigned from Parliament, leaving the PAP as the sole representative party. In the general elections of 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980, the PAP won all of the seats in an expanding Parliament.
Workers' Party Secretary General J.B. Jeyaretnam became the first opposition party member of Parliament in 15 years when he won a 1981 by-election. Opposition parties gained small numbers of seats in the general elections of 1984 (2 out of 79), 1988 (1 of 81), 1991 (4 of 81), 1997 (2 of 83), 2001 (2 of 84) and 2006 (2 of 84). Meanwhile, the PAP's share of the popular vote in contested seats decreased from 75% in 2001 to 66.6% in 2006. In the 2006 election, opposition parties together contested 47 of the 84 seats, the largest number in 18 years.
Principal
Government Officials
President--S.R. NATHAN
Prime Minister--LEE Hsien Loong
Senior Minister--GOH Chok Tong
Minister Mentor--LEE Kuan Yew
Deputy Prime Minister--Prof. S. JAYAKUMAR
Deputy Prime Minister -- Wong Kan Seng
Ambassador to the United Nations--Mr. K V Vanu Gopala MENON
Ambassador to the United States--Prof. CHAN Heng Chee
Ministers
Community Development, Youth and Sports (Acting)--Dr. Vivian BALAKRISHNAN
Defense--RAdm (NS) TEO Chee Hean
Education--Tharman SHANMUGARATNAM
Environment and Water Resources--Assoc. Prof. YAACOB Ibrahim
Finance--LEE Hsien Loong
Foreign Affairs--BG (NS) George Yong-Boon YEO
Health--KHAW Boon Wan
Home Affairs--WONG Kan Seng
Information, Communications and the Arts--Dr. LEE Boon Yang
Manpower--Dr. NG Eng Hen
Law--Prof. S. JAYAKUMAR
National Development--MAH Bow Tan
Trade and Industry--LIM Hng Kiang
Transport–YEO Cheow Tong
Singapore
maintains an embassy
in the United States at 3501 International Place NW, Washington,
DC 20008 (tel. 202/537-3100, fax 202/537-0876).
Type: Parliamentary republic.
Constitution: June 3, 1959 (amended 1965 and 1991).
Independence: August 9, 1965.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state, 6-yr. term); prime minister (head of government). Legislative--unicameral 84-member Parliament (maximum 5-yr. term). Judicial--High Court, Court of Appeal, subordinate courts.
Political parties: People's Action Party (PAP), Workers' Party (WP), Singapore's Peoples Party (SPP), Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), Singapore Democratic Alliance.
Suffrage: Universal and compulsory at 21.
Central government budget (FY 2008): $26.8 billion.
Defense (FY 2007): 4.0% of gross domestic product.
National holiday: August 9.
