The Rebounding of the People’s Action Party of Singapore in 2015: An Electoral Analysis of Three Hotly Contested Constituencies

Abstract

The 2015 Singapore General Elections (GE) produced a puzzling outcome. Although it was predicted by analysts that the People’s Action Party (PAP) would rebound, the depth of victory by way of popular vote of 69.9 percent was confoundding. Given also that the Workers’ Party of Singapore (WP) was expected to retain Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) as well as the Single Member Constituency (SMC) of Hougang and Punggol East, it further flummoxed analysts when the WP lost Punggol East to the PAP, and WP had its margin of victory reduced in both Aljunied and Hougang. Epitomising PAP’s rebound was also the increased margin of victory in the PotongPasir SMC. Although the opposition, namely, the WP was expected to further pluralise the parliamentary system in Singapore by winning more seats in GE2015, the reverse took place in that the PAP not only rebounded from the 60.1 percent it received in GE2011, but also further entrenched its one-party dominance in governing Singapore. Based on an electoral analysis of three constituencies, Punggol East, PotongPasir and Aljunied, this article argues that these constituencies illustrate how the PAP rebounded while the WP retrogressed in GE2015. Pursuant to the electoral outcome, this article makes the case that there needs to be a re-evaluation when applying the concept of authoritarianism to Singapore’s context.