Singapore (VNA) – Political parties in Singapore wrapped up their nine days of campaigning on July 8 and they are having the Cooling-off Day on July 9 before over 2.65 million voters go to cast their ballots on the next day.

This year’s election campaigns were special as they were mainly carried out online. Parties made full use of TV channels, newspapers and social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to reach voters.

However, direct campaigning activities still took place. Due to restrictions on mass gatherings to curb the spread of COVID-19, candidates moved in groups of not more than five people to meet and persuade voters to vote for them.

With advantages of the ruling party, the People’s Action Party made more concrete commitments to attract voters’ support such as accelerating suspended infrastructure projects, building new entertainment sites, and upgrading government-built flats. In fact, its top priorities are still post-pandemic economic recovery and job creation.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore is facing an unprecedented crisis and the new government will need strong mandate from the people to lead the country through COVID-19-induced difficulties.

Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the Workers’ Party, the Progress Singapore Party and the Singapore Democratic Party which vie for many seats, also actively held campaigning activities. 

They focused on existing problems in society like escalating prices, wealth gap, social discrimination or the current administration’s mistakes in the coronavirus control at foreign migrant workers’ dormitories./.
VNA