Goh believes his party will win S'pore elections

Goh believes his party will win S'pore elections

SINGAPORE (Agencies): Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
expressed confidence yesterday that his People's Action Party
(PAP) would win a majority in parliament even before the first
vote is cast in upcoming general elections.

Goh, 55, told journalists during a constituency visit that he
did not expect the fragmented opposition to be able to field more
than 40 candidates in the race for 83 seats in parliament.

Political parties are scheduled to unveil their final lineups
today when they hand in their applications to contest the polls
widely expected in the first week of January. The elections can
be held as early as nine days afterwards.

Goh, who is to announce election day after the nomination
exercise, slated for today, said he believed the opposition would
be unable to contest all seats because of "quarrels" between
rival parties and the reluctance of candidates to join them.

But Goh cautioned voters to exercise their franchise with care
in parliamentary wards that will witness a contest, Channel Five
television said.

Today's announcement of the polling date will end an
agonizingly long guessing game over the timing of the exercise
whose outcome has never been in doubt.

Election rumors have periodically surfaced in the wealthy and
tightly governed island since 1995, and Goh kept the public
tantalized and the opposition on hold.

The government finally announced on Dec. 16 that parliament
had been dissolved -- but left the election date blank.

"The reason why I did not announce the polling date early is
because when you go into battle, you must have the element of
surprise," Goh told journalists after visiting an opposition-held
constituency on Saturday.

The PAP has unveiled its lineup and manifesto, but opposition
parties -- led by the Singapore Democratic Party which held three
seats and the Workers' Party with one -- have not disclosed their
full casts.

Unlike in other countries, the opposition in Singapore has not
raised corruption as an issue against the government, whose
highly-paid ministers are rated by independent analysts as the
cleanest politicians in Asia.

Analysts say criticism would focus on the strict political
controls and rising cost of living in the city-state, whose per-
capita income now stands at more than US$25,000, higher than in
some West European countries.

Goh said in a dialog with university students over the weekend
that a survey among young Singaporeans showed that their gripes
included "too many rules, laws and fines, no freedom ..."

Singapore has known only two prime ministers since gaining
self-rule from Britain in 1959. It became a republic after
separating from the Malaysian federation in 1965.

Goh's still influential predecessor Lee Kuan Yew, who now
holds the title Senior Minister and serves as a roving
ambassador, was in power for 31 years until stepping down in
Goh's favor six years ago.

Lee, 73, is expected to seek reelection as an MP despite two
operations this year to clear up a clogged coronary artery.