Singapore: Yeo Lay Hwee Electoral Politics in Singapore Yeo Lay Hwee Introduction Elections are a necessary but not sufficient condition of democracy. Having a free and fair election is an important component of democracy because it is meant to provide the means for popular choice and control over government – popular choice being a key principle of democracy. Democracy, however, requires more than just elections. The degree of democracy can be measured by how far socio-political and economic structures are built and organized to realize the various principles of democracy. The definitions of these principles in most Western literature include‘popular control’ and‘political equality’. ‘Popular control’ implies that people have the right to a controlling influence over public decisions and decision-makers; and the meaning of‘political equality’ is that people should be treated with equal respect and regarded as having equal worth in the context of such decisions. Singapore has never been fully accepted as a democratic country by Western liberal standards. It is often described as a model of‘soft authoritarianism’, or a limited democracy at best. The electoral system in Singapore is sometimes also seen as flawed by political commentators, who point out the lack of options and the lack of an effective opposition. The ruling People’s Action Party(PAP) enjoyed parliamentary monopoly from 1966 to 1981, and in the last two decades, while conceding between two and four seats to the opposition, has continued to exert such political dominance that some see Singapore as virtually a one­party state. This chapter gives a historical account of the development of the electoral system in Singapore, outlines the major changes and provides an evaluation of its performance, noting how it has contributed to the democratic development of Singapore. The Historical Development of Singapore’s Electoral System The attainment of Singapore’s self-government and independence was channelled through the electoral process and political parties. After administrative separation from Malaya and the declaration of Singapore as a Crown Colony in 1946, a Legislative Council was inaugurated in 1948, which 203