Advertisement

Next General Election may not be when Singaporeans expect: PM Lee

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrives at the Beijing Capital International Airport November 9, 2014, to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon (CHINA - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS)

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says the city-state’s next General Election (GE) may not happen “when everybody is expecting it”.

Speaking on the sidelines of an Asean-Korea summit in Busan, South Korea, PM Lee told the media various factors would be considered before making the decision, reported The Straits Times.  

Those factors included local and international events, as well as Singapore’s 50th birthday celebrations, which span the whole of next year.

The next GE must be called by January 2017.

PM Lee added that the People’s Action Party (PAP) is already preparing for the elections.

The ruling party suffered its worst performance in the 2011 GE, garnering an all-time low of 60 per cent of votes. Some voters blamed the PAP for the rising cost of living, and for allowing an influx of immigrants who competed for jobs and put a strain on public services.