S i n g a p o r e Governance institutions Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 265 Government and politics Last elections: May 2011 Next elections: 2016 Head of State: President Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam (2011–) Head of Government: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Ruling party: People’s Action Party In an early general election in November 2001, the electorate gave the People’s Action Party (PAP) a decisive endorsement, when it took 82 of the 84 elective seats with 75.3 per cent of the votes. The Workers’ Party (WP) and the four-party Singapore Democratic Alliance each won one seat. In August 2004 Goh Chok Tong was succeeded by Lee Hsien Loong, son of Lee Kuan Yew and Deputy Prime Minister since 1990. The PAP was again returned with 82 seats in the May 2006 general election, receiving 66.6 per cent of the votes. Opposition parties contested 47 seats, and it was the first time more than half the seats were contested. In the May 2011 general election the PAP won 81 seats and received 60.1 per cent of the votes. Opposition parties contested 82 seats. The WP (six seats and 12.8 per cent) was the only other party to win seats, though the National Solidarity Party received a comparable number of the votes (12.0 per cent). In a hard-fought presidential contest, in August 2011, former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan – with 35.2 per cent of the votes cast – defeated his three rivals; Tan Cheng Bock secured 34.9 per cent of the votes, Tan Jee Say 25.0 per cent and Tan Kin Lian 4.9 per cent. Dr Tan succeeded retiring President S R Nathan on 1 September 2011. Local government There is no local government and no local elections in Singapore. The community development councils, headed by a mayor, administer certain community and social services delegated by government ministries. Further information Government of Singapore: www.gov.sg Commonwealth Secretariat: www.thecommonwealth.org Commonwealth Governance: www.commonwealthgovernance.org Elections Department: www.elections.gov.sg Parliament of Singapore: www.parliament.gov.sg Supreme Court: www.supcourt.gov.sg Auditor-General's Office: www.ago.gov.sg Prime Minister's Office: www.pmo.gov.sg Ministry of Law: www.mlaw.gov.sg Ministry of Finance: www.mof.gov.sg Ministry of Trade and Industry: www.mti.gov.sg Monetary Authority of Singapore: www.mas.gov.sg Singapore Exchange: www.sgx.com SPRING Singapore: www.spring.gov.sg Infocomm Development Authority: www.ida.gov.sg
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