Singapore's opposition claim ‘gerrymandering' ahead of election
By Audrey Wan
(Bloomberg) – Opposition parties in Singapore called into question revisions to the electoral boundaries, accusing officials of 'gerrymandering' ahead of a critical vote only months away.
The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee released its report on Tuesday proposing changes to all but nine electoral divisions.
'It is nothing short of massive gerrymandering in plain sight,' the fringe People's Power Party said in a Facebook post. 'This is really unhealthy for democratic development, disruptive and wasteful of resources in reorganising town councils and disrespectful to Singaporeans at large.'
The main opposition Workers' Party noted 'significant changes' to areas it had been working in in recent years. Others called out the committee comprised of top civil servants and led by the secretary to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for not providing sufficient explanation for the changes.
The city-state's elections department did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Objections to Singapore's process of deciding electoral boundaries are not new in a political system that's been dominated by the ruling People's Action Party since independence in 1965. In August, Progress Singapore Party raised a motion in parliament calling on the government to review how the boundaries are drawn, 'to reduce the potential for gerrymandering in our system.'
The motion was later rejected by popular vote. The government said that suggestion was based on 'false premises' and the committee works in the interest of voters, not those of political parties.
'Much of the EBRC's decision-making remains unexplained,' Progress Singapore Party Secretary-General Hazel Poa said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. 'The EBRC could have accounted for the population shifts without making drastic changes to existing major electoral boundaries.'
Changes to the electoral zones signal that Singapore is approaching its next vote, the first since Wong took over the top post from long-time incumbent former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in May. In the last election in 2020, the ruling PAP won 89% of the parliamentary seats in its worst performance ever due in part to concerns about the economy. Worries about cost of living pressures remain top of mind for Singaporeans.
Wong has warned that the next vote which is due by November, but could come much sooner, would be a high-stakes one and that even a modest swing in the popular vote would lead to a weaker government.
This year, the electoral boundaries committee said it took into consideration significant changes in the number of electors in current divisions due to population shifts and housing developments. It recommended increasing the number of electoral divisions from 31 to 33 and the number of seats in parliament from 93 to 97.
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