Singapore GE: Despite new normal, campaigning running smoothly

Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP), which is seeking to continue ruling the city-state and 10 opposition parties are utilising all permissible platforms allowed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic for their respective campaigns ahead of the republic's general election this Friday.

Campaigning has been running smoothly since nomination day on June 30 with all the candidates adhering to Covid-19 safe management measures strictly set by the authorities while doing their walkabouts and door-to-door visits.

Besides physical interactions, the parties and candidates have been heavily leveraging on social media platforms to reach out to about 2.6 million eligible voters.

On top of that, the political parties and candidates are optimising their level best to lure votes as they are given television airtime at the national level, through the party and the constituency political broadcasts.

Since the 1980 general election, political parties that field at least six candidates under a recognised party symbol are eligible for airtime on free-to-air radio and television.

This time around, the first of the party political broadcasts (PPBs) was aired across 19 TV and radio channels on July 2 and another one is slated for July 9, a day before polling day.

The constituency political broadcasts (CPBs), meanwhile, are special one-off arrangements for the current election, in view of the Covid-19 situation, kicking in from July 3, via Mediacorp’s channels, and will go on until July 8, a day before the cooling-off day.

Besides the PPBs and CPBs, Mediacorp has broadcast two ‘live’ general elections 2020 political debates in English and Mandarin, on July 1.

Four political parties that are fielding the most number of candidates – the People’s Action Party (PAP), Progress Singapore Party (PSP), Workers' Party (WP), and Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) – were invited for the debates.

The caretaker government is also providing venues at the Suntec Singapore Convention Centre for e-rallies at specific time slots throughout the day during the campaign period as an alternative to physical rallies in view of the Covid-19 situation.

Retaining and creating jobs for the locals amidst the Covid-19 situation are among the main focus points raised during the debates, series of broadcasts, and e-rallies.

The PAP which has held an overwhelming majority of seats in Parliament since 1966, is not resting on its laurels and takes every election seriously as can be seen by party campaigners descending everywhere in the 31 electoral divisions to meet the voters.

Although there has been a suggestion by one of the opposition parties that the PAP will sweep all 93 seats at stake, it has not taken things lightly.

PAP secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong has said the election will be a “hard fight” as people are hurting from the impact of Covid-19 and described the suggestion as an unrealistic outcome and a "tactic".

- Bernama