Political context
Singapore is a republic state based on parliamentary democracy. Singapore (official name: Republic of Singapore) is south-east Asia's hi-tech, wealthy city-state which is also known for the conservatism of its leaders and its strict social controls.
President is the chief of the state and is elected by a popular vote for six-year term. The role of the president is largely ceremonial, although he has some veto powers in a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of key judiciary positions. Following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition is usually appointed Prime Minister by the President as head of the government. Prime Minister enjoys all the executive powers which include implementation of the law in the country and running the day-to-day affairs. The cabinet is appointed by the President on the advice of Prime Minister and it is answerable to the parliament.
The legislature is unicameral Singapore. The Parliament consists of 84 seats; out of which 9 members are directly elected from single-member constituencies and the remaining 75 are elected from 15 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). Each GRC has a team of 4-6 candidates fielded by different political parties. Parliament is supreme to all other government institutions and can even change or repeal any legislation passed by previous parliaments with a majority. The government is dependent on the support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. Prime Minister does not have the power to dissolve the Parliament. The people of Singapore have limited political rights.
Judiciary is not completely independent in Singapore. It is badly influenced by political pressures. The main source of the law is the constitution of 1959, amended in 1965. The legal system in the country is based on English common law. Singapore has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. There are four judicial languages used in the country: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.
Singapore is ruled by law, though government has the power to detain suspects without trial. Foreigners can largely expect an impartial trial from the country’s judicial system, especially in matters related to business. Corruption does not exist in the country and government is known for its high degree of transparency.
Major political parties
Though Singapore is a multi-party nation, but practically it has been dominated by one-party which has been in power since its independence. It is PAP (People's Action Party). Opposition parties are allowed, but are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power. Some of the important opposition parties are:
- SDA (Singapore Democratic Alliance) – a common opposition alliance to fight PAP,
- SDP (Singapore Democratic Party) – a liberal democratic party,
- WP (Workers' Party of Singapore) – a party of industrial workers.
Major political leaders
President: S. R. NATHAN (since September 1999, re-elected in August 2005) – non-partisan
Prime Minister: LEE Hsien Loong (since August 2004) - PAP
Next political election dates
Presidential: August 2011
Parliamentary: Year 2011
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