As the 2015 General Election come to a bittersweet end tomorrow, a recent report put out by Bloomberg and AFP have pointed out that Singapore’s methods of voting politicians into government are… ‘quirky’.
Though we can probably think of a dozen other cynical adjectives for the elections in Singapore, folks have to agree that the way we’re doing things are definitely a tad different from other democracies, and it could probably be for the better (or for worse). Like many other things that have been glossed over for the sake of Singapore’s unicorn-like uniqueness, the existence of such ‘quirky’ elements have been said to be crucial for the country’s well-being. Opposition parties however, loudly disagree.
Elements such as mandatory voting for those over 21 years of age (and the expulsion of your name from the ledger if you didn’t vote), questionably short campaign periods, the prohibition of election surveys and the existence Group Representation Constituencies are all regular facets of Singaporean elections — and it does seem odd to outsiders. Check out the article on the South China Morning Post and see just how unicorn-y our elections are as compared to the rest of the world.
Photo: PAP Facebook page
