Singapore's Workers' Party to Contest Fewer Seats in Upcoming Election

The Workers' Party (WP), a prominent opposition party in Singapore, has announced its intention to contest fewer than a third of the 97 parliamentary seats available in the upcoming General Election on May 3rd. This information was revealed by party chief Pritam Singh during a press conference where the party also presented its manifesto and introduced four new candidates.

While the party has confirmed its intention to contest a smaller proportion of seats than previously targeted, the exact number of candidates and the specific constituencies they will be contesting were not disclosed. These details are expected to be announced at a later date.

In 2019, the WP had set a medium-term goal of contesting and winning one-third of the parliamentary seats. When questioned about this objective for the current election, Mr. Singh clarified that the party would not be able to field enough candidates to meet that specific target. He emphasized the importance of assembling strong teams and individuals dedicated to serving the interests of Singapore and its citizens.

During the previous General Election in 2020, the WP fielded a total of 21 candidates, a decrease from the 28 candidates in the 2015 election. The party contested in several constituencies located in the eastern and northeastern regions of Singapore, including Hougang and Punggol West SMCs, as well as Sengkang, Aljunied, East Coast, and Marine Parade GRCs. The party saw increased support in Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC, and secured four new parliamentary seats by winning in Sengkang GRC.

Sources suggest that the WP might consider contesting in the newly established Punggol GRC and constituencies within Tampines, a traditional area of support. This could potentially bring the total number of WP candidates to 30, which would still be below the threshold needed to fill one-third of the parliamentary seats.