Singapore, April 15 || As Singaporeans prepare to head to the polls on May 3, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday that "Singaporeans should decide on the team to lead our nation" at this critical juncture.
"The global conditions that enabled Singapore's success over the past decades may no longer hold," Wong said in a Facebook post, adding that this is why he has called the general election.
Earlier on Tuesday, Wong advised President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to dissolve the parliament, officially triggering the election process, news agency reported. The Nomination Day will take place on April 23, when political parties will announce their final slate of candidates contesting across Singapore's 33 constituencies.
Voters will cast ballots for individual candidates or groups of candidates running to represent their constituency in the parliament.
Following the Nomination Day, nine days of campaigning will be permitted, including rallies, house visits, pamphlet distribution, poster and banner displays, and online political advertising. Campaigning will be prohibited on May 2, a designated cooling-off day for voters to reflect on the issues raised.
Wong, who succeeded Lee Hsien Loong as Prime Minister in May 2024 after Lee's two-decade tenure, will lead the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) into the upcoming general election.