S'pore dissolves parliament, to hold elections on Nov. 3<\/p>\n
Agencies, Singapore<\/p>\n
Singapore, which is struggling through a severe economic crisis,
\nwill hold general elections on Nov. 3, the government said on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
The announcement came about an hour after a government
\nstatement said President S.R. Nathan, on advice of Prime Minister
\nGoh Chok Tong, dissolved the legislature.<\/p>\n
Nomination day - the day when candidates are announced for
\neach constituency - will be on Oct. 25. Most seats have gone
\nuncontested in the past two elections, allowing the ruling
\nPeoples' Action Party to win on nomination day.<\/p>\n
Goh left the city-state Thursday for the meeting of Asia
\nPacific Economic Cooperation.<\/p>\n
The government does not officially finish its five-year term
\nuntil August 2002, but analysts and opposition leaders had been
\nexpecting an early election in the wake of bad economic news.<\/p>\n
Singapore - a small but wealthy trade-dependent Southeast
\nAsian island nation - is experiencing its worst economic slump.<\/p>\n
Opposition candidate James Gomez said the gloomy state of the
\neconomy will be the biggest election issue.<\/p>\n
Singapore slipped into recession earlier this year, and the
\ngovernment now says the economy will contract by 3 percent this
\nyear, after 9.9 percent growth last year.<\/p>\n
The economy was hurt by a fall in demand for electronics - its
\nmajor export - especially in its biggest market, the United
\nStates. Singapore's economic woes have been made worse by the
\nsharp downturn in consumer confidence following the Sept. 11
\nterrorist attacks on the United States and Washington's military
\nresponse.<\/p>\n
After unveiling a S$11.3 billion (US$6.2 billion) stimulus
\npackage last week, the government announced redrawn electoral
\nboundaries on Wednesday. Voter rolls opened last month.<\/p>\n
\"They have just released their off-budget measures to help
\nSingaporeans,\" said National University of Singapore political
\nscience professor Lee Lai To.<\/p>\n
\"The economy is not doing well and there will be all sorts of
\neconomic problems ahead, so this is probably the opportune time
\nfor the party in power to have a general election.\"<\/p>\n
Gomez said he is confident the opposition can muster enough
\nvotes to take more than the two seats it won at the last poll
\nbecause people are unhappy that they are heading into poverty.<\/p>\n
He said the election has been called at a crucial time.<\/p>\n
\"The people have an opposition to do what they want - all the
\nchecks and balances in Parliament. The opposition is going into
\nthe election with the new poor,\" said Gomez.<\/p>\n
Candidates can only begin campaigning after nominations close
\non Oct. 25. Social Democratic Party secretary general Chee Soon
\nJuan said this is done mainly through political rallies.<\/p>\n
\"In eight days you can't knock on many doors,\" said Chee,
\nadding that he will not be doing any television campaigns.<\/p>\n
The ruling People's Action Party has held power in the island
\nrepublic since 1959, winning 10 elections in a row. It is
\nexpected to dominate again.<\/p>\n
Critics say the government control of the media limits the
\nrise of the opposition in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"You don't go in knowing you stand a fair chance of winning
\nbut we have to keep the (democracy) process going,\" said the
\nSocial Democratic Party's Chee.<\/p>\n
It also set out new rules for Internet use during the
\nelection, allowing photographs of candidates, calls for members
\nand chat rooms but banning opinion polls and appeals for funds.<\/p>\n
Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong -- also chairman of the
\ncentral bank and son of Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's
\nfirst prime minister -- introduced four new candidates on
\nThursday and said the PAP would publish its manifesto on Friday.<\/p>",
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