Singapore's
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of the ruling People's
Action …
Supporters of
the ruling People's Action Party celebrate as they listen to
results …
A supporter of
the ruling People's Action Party takes a photograph as he
waits …
Singapore's
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of the ruling People's
Action …
Singapore's
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, third from left on stage leads
his …
Supporters of
the Worker's Party cheer as they wait for results at an
assembly …
Singapore's
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of the ruling People's
Action …
Supporters of
the Worker's Party cheer as they wait for results at coffee
shop …
SINGAPORE (AP) —
Singapore's prime minister on Saturday lauded the city-state's
youth vote for helping return his party to power in a massive
election victory, and reversing a worrying drop in popularity it
suffered in the last polls four years ago.
The ruling
People's Action Party got 83 of the 89 seats in Parliament, while
the opposition Workers' Party captured six in Friday's
elections.
"It is a good
result for the PAP, but it is an excellent result for Singapore,"
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in the early hours of Saturday,
after final results were announced. He said the result would not
have been possible without broad support from all sections of
society.
"And in
particular, it could not have been done without strong support from
the young ... it shows that the young people understand what is at
stake, support what we are doing, really to secure a bright future
for Singapore," he said.
The victory of the
People's Action Party was never in doubt — it has won every
election since independence in 1965 — but what was notable was the
percentage of votes it secured: nearly 70 percent of all votes
cast, compared to 60 percent in the 2011 elections.
A day after the
election, candidates of various political parties were up early to
thank residents through walkabouts and victory parades in open-top
vehicles.
The huge sweep
means the struggling opposition made no headway despite
highlighting problems like income disparity, restrictions on free
speech, overcrowding caused by immigration, infrequent breakdown in
public transportation and the rising cost of living. The PAP had
campaigned on the theme that voting for the opposition would
produce a second-rate government and squander the economic gains
achieved during the last 50 years.
The message
resonated with voters and perhaps even scared the fence-sitters
into going back to a tried and trusted party, resulting in the
stronger mandate for the PAP.
"What I can say is
that this is not ... a mandate for the PAP's economic policies,"
said Kenneth Jeyaretnam, secretary-general of the Reform Party,
which did not win any seats.
"All this is a
mandate for authoritarianism and brainwashing. It shows what you do
when you control everybody's housing, you control their savings,
you control their jobs because you're the major employer, you
control all the media," he said.
The timing of the
election also made a difference — it was called right after
Singapore's 50th birthday celebrations on Aug. 9 while nationalist
feelings were still high, and months after the March 23 death of
Singapore's founding leader, Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Prime
Minister Lee.
The senior Lee
became the country's first prime minister in 1965 and remained in
office until 1990, a period of rapid development and prosperity.
His son has been prime minister since 2004.
___
Associated Press
writer Vijay Joshi in Bangkok contributed to this report.
