Singapore’s president Tharman Shanmugaratnam dissolved parliament on Tuesday, setting the stage for general election as the prime minister prepares to seek a mandate cost of living concerns.
Prime minister Lawrence Wong’s office announced that Nomination Day, when candidates formally submit their intent to run for office, will be on 23 April.
The specific date for the voting could be announced within hours.
Victory is virtually assured to the city-state’s long-ruling People’s Action Party, which has led Singapore since its independence in 1965.
The upcoming contest would be the first general election being found under the leadership of Mr Wong, who has sought to reach out to disgruntled younger voters.
He launched a “Forward Singapore” plan that aims to give Singaporeans a say in how to develop a more balanced, vibrant and inclusive agenda for the next generation.
High costs of living remain one of the top concerns for voters as one of the world’s wealthiest nations has also become one of the most expensive cities to live in.
The 52-year-old leader of the party turned to offering cash handouts and social welfare programs to help people cope with the economic difficulties that became worse after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The party is set to field more than 30 new candidates to refresh the party.
Mr Wong has warned that “who you have in the cockpit matters” amid economic uncertainties as US tariffs hit the global trading system.
“The biggest contest we face isn’t between political parties, it’s Singapore vs the world,” Mr Wong said in a Facebook post earlier this week. “Our mission… is clear: to keep our nation a shining beacon of stability, progress and hope.”
A year ago, Mr Wong took over from Lee Hsien Loong, who stepped down from the post after two decades at the helm.
Mr Lee’s departure marked the end of a political dynasty founded by his father, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister, who transformed the former colonial trading post into one of the world’s wealthiest nations over his 31-year tenure.