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Singapore - Constitution

Singapore is a republic and a parliamentary democracy, with an elective, non-executive presidency. The constitution is essentially that of 1959. It provides for a head of state, a prime minister and a cabinet, and a unicameral parliament with 84 elected members.

Elections, under universal adult suffrage and compulsory voting, must be held at least every five years. There are two types of constituency: nine single-member constituencies, and 15 group-representation constituencies, which each return a team of between four and six members, one of whom must be from an ethnic minority.

In addition to the elected members, there are nine nominated MPs and up to three seats are offered to opposition politicians who failed to win a seat; and these MPs may speak in parliament and vote except on motions relating to finance, presidential impeachment, no-confidence votes and the constitution.

The prime minister is the leader of the majority party in parliament, who chooses a cabinet from among the members of parliament.

The president is directly elected by universal adult suffrage for a six-year term. In practice the president no longer has powers of veto over legislation or appointments. The position is largely ceremonial. The first presidential election was held in 1993 but, in 1999 and in 2005, when the election committee, under the very restrictive eligibility rules, found only one candidate to be eligible, there was no election. Town councils, with powers mostly limited to matters concerning public residential estates, were introduced in 1986.