Temperature check for passengers at Singapore's Changi Airport (Photo: AFP/VNA) Singapore (VNA) – The COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on the economy are likely to worsen, and ensuring that Singapore can focus on overcoming the challenges is a major factor in deciding when to hold the general election, said Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
Speaking with reporters on March 11, the Deputy PM said that he is discussing the situation with Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, adding that the government’s current focus is on containing the outbreak and its impact on the economy.
It is likely the outbreak will last until at least the end of the year, and Singapore needs to be able to respond to this major uncertainty, he said.
When asked if Singapore would consider holding an election amid the COVID-19 outbreak, he replied that the authorities are looking at all possibilities, voicing his hope that election rules are properly followed.
Singapore’s Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) was set up in September 2019. Its formation is a clear sign that the country’s general election, which must be held by April 2021, is near.
In Singapore’s previous elections, a general election could be called from between two and seven months from the time the EBRC’s formation is announced./.
VNA
