Singapore Opposition Seeks Clarity and Changes on Campaigning Rules
Singapore Opposition Seeks Clarity and Changes on Campaigning Rules
(Bloomberg) -- Two Singapore opposition parties are calling on the government to publish clearer campaigning rules and make changes in preparation for an upcoming election.
The Workers’ Party called on the current government to provide more clarity on how election campaigning rules would be modified in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Contesting parties should know the ground rules as soon as possible, in order to be well-prepared to offer Singaporean voters their best efforts at the polls,” the party said in a statement posted to its website on Thursday.
Separately, the Singapore Democratic Party asked for the campaign period to be extended to 21 days instead of nine. It is also seeking equitable access to the nation’s media for all parties.
“There are grave and far-reaching issues that need to be thoroughly debated. Singaporeans must get deeply involved in the process as it concerns their lives and the lives of their children,” it said in a statement Thursday on its website.
Facing one of the highest Covid-19 infection rates in Asia, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat earlier this week said that the sooner the general election is held, the sooner its citizens can rally to face the challenges ahead. Singapore must hold its general election by April 14, with parliament required to be dissolved by January.
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