Singapore to hold by-election

People's Action Party MP David Ong (Source :channelnewsasia.com)

Singapore (VNA) – Singapore will hold a by-election in Bukit Batok’s Single Member Constituency (SMC) after the People’s Action Party (PAP) MP David Ong announced his resignation, admitting to a “personal discretion”, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on March 12.

In the press release, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Desmond Lee, an MP for neighboring Jurong GRC, will temporary replace David Ong to undertake works in SMC Bukit Batok.

Speaking at a press conference later, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam asserted that PAP’s top priority is taking care of constituents until the by-election.

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the opposite Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) declared they would join the upcoming by-election. The People’s Power Party (PPP) and other opposition parties said they will soon decide whether to take part in the event.

Experts said the by-election could be called a month after the Government submits a draft of the State budget for 2016 at the parliament, which is scheduled for March 24.

Normally debates on drafts of the State budget take up to six weeks, but it is highly likely the by-election will be organised in the third quarter this year, experts said.-VNA