Info
Parties and Candidates
PC001
Registration requirements for parties (Chamber 1)
Question: What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):
a . Signature requirement (specify requirement) b . Deposit requirement (specify amount) e . Minimum number of candidates f . Other
Comments: Any person eligible for election as a Member of Parliament in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution may be nominated as a candidate for election.
A person may be nominated to be a candidate for election only by means of a nomination paper which shall be signed by a proposer and a seconder, and 4 or more persons as assentors, each of whom must be a person whose name appears in the register of electors for the electoral division in which the person seeks election.
Any political party that desires to contest in any election in any group representation constituency shall consist of such number of candidates as designated for that constituency by the President.
At least one of the candidates in every group shall be a person belonging to the Malay community or a person belonging to the Indian or other minority communities.
A candidate, or some person on his behalf, shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Returning Officer or with some person authorised by the Returning Officer in that behalf, a sum equal to 8% of the total allowances payable to a Member of Parliament in the preceding calendar year, rounded to the nearest $500.
Source: Parliamentary Elections Act, art. 27, 27A, 27B, 28: http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/SG/singapore-parliamentary-elections-act-2011/view (2017)
Verified: 2017/03/24
PC003
Registration requirements for candidates (Chamber 1)
Question: What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):
a . Age b . Citizenship d . Residence f . Registration i . Minimum level of literacy
Comments: A person shall be qualified to be elected or appointed as a Member of Parliament if:
(a) he/she is a citizen of Singapore;
(b) he/she is of the age of 21 years or above on the day of nomination;
(c) his/her name appears in a current register of electors;
(d) he/she is resident in Singapore at the date of his nomination for election and has been so resident for periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than 10 years prior to that date;
(e) he/she is able, with a degree of proficiency sufficient to enable him to take an active part in the proceedings of Parliament, to speak and, unless incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause, to read and write at least one of the following languages, that is to say, English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.
Source: Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, art. 44 (2): https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Singapore_2010?lang=en (2017)
Verified: 2017/03/24
PC008
Independent candidates
Question: Can independent candidates compete in presidential or legislative elections?
Answer(s):
e . In both presidential and legislative elections
Comments: 27.1 Any group that desires to contest in any election in any group representation constituency shall consist of independent candidates standing as a group.
9.1 Any person eligible for election to the office of President in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution may be nominated as a candidate for election to the office of President.
Source: Parliamentary Elections Act, art. 27A (3-b): http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/SG/singapore-parliamentary-elections-act-2011/view (2017)
Presidential Elections Act, art. 9: http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/SG/singapore-president-elections-act-2011/view (2017)
Verified: 2017/03/24
PC012
Public funding of parties
Question: Do political parties receive direct/indirect public funding?
Answer(s):
a . No
Comments:
Source: Constitution of the Republic of Singapore: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Singapore_2010?lang=en (2017);
Parliamentary Elections Act: http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/SG/singapore-parliamentary-elections-act-2011/view (2017)
Verified: 2017/03/24
PC015
Question: What is the basis of the public funding?
Answer(s):
g . Not applicable
Comments:
Source: Parliamentary Elections Act: http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/asia/SG/singapore-parliamentary-elections-act-2011/view (2017)
Verified: 2017/03/24
PC017
Question: Are political parties entitled to private funding?
Answer:
a . Yes
Comments: The Political Donations Act governs the limitations of contributions to political parties by foreign and domestic private sources. Donations from domestic sources are limited to accept anonymous donations of less than $5,000 in any one financial year of the association. All donations must be reported to the Election Department. Foreign donations are impermissible.
Source: Political Donations Act:
http://www.eld.gov.sg/registry.html (2017).
Verified: 2017/03/24
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