September 4, 2009
In Freedom House's
2009 report on freedom in the world, Singapore received a
downward trend arrow due to the politically motivated handling of
defamation cases, which cast doubt on judicial independence.
Some highlights from the
report:
Singapore
is not an electoral
democracy. The country is governed through a parliamentary
system, and elections are free from irregularities and vote
rigging, but the ruling PAP dominates the political process. The
prime minister retains control over the Elections Department, and
the country lacks a structurally independent election
authority. Opposition campaigns are hamstrung by a ban on
political films and television programs, the threat of libel suits,
strict regulations on political associations, and the PAP’s
influence on the media and the courts.
Despite
his expressed desire for a “more open society,” Lee Hsien Loong did
little to change the authoritarian political climate. He
called elections in May 2006, a year early, to secure a mandate for
his economic reform agenda. With a nine-day campaign period and
defamation lawsuits hampering opposition candidates, the polls
resembled past elections in serving more as a referendum on the
prime minister’s popularity than as an actual contest for
power.
In 2007 and 2008, Lee continued to pursue his
economic agenda while using the legal system and other tools to
keep the opposition in check. The
government also maintained that racial sensitivities and the threat
of Islamist terrorism justified draconian restrictions on freedoms
of speech and assembly. Such rules were repeatedly
used to silence criticism of the authorities.
Singapore has traditionally been lauded for its relative lack of
corruption. There is no special legislation facilitating access to
information, however, and management of state funds came under
question for the first time in 2007. Critics lamented the state’s
secret investment of national reserves, and investigations into the
state investment arm, Temasek Holdings, were launched by Indonesian
and Thai watchdog agencies.
Singapore’s media market
remains tightly constrained. All newspapers, radio stations,
and television channels are owned by government-linked companies.
Although editorials and news coverage generally support state
policies, newspapers occasionally publish critical pieces.
Self-censorship is common among journalists as a result of PAP
pressure.
Read the full
report
here.
http://seelanpalay.blogspot.com/2009/09/singapore-is-not-electoral-democracy.html