Independence:
9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution:
3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of
Singapore Constitution)
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN (since 1
September 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November
1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers Brig. Gen. (Ret.) LEE Hsien Loong
(since 28 November 1990) and TAN Keng Yam Tony (since 1 August 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to
Parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 28 August 1999 (next to be held by August 2005);
following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime
minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the
president
election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN elected president
unopposed
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine
nominated members; the losing opposition candidate who came closest
to winning a seat may be appointed as a "nonconstituency" member
elections: last held 3 November 2001 (next to be held 25 June 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 75.3% (in contested
constituencies), other 24.7%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the
advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the
president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals
Political parties and leaders:
governing party: People's Action Party or PAP [GOH Chok Tong];
opposition parties: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [leader NA];
National Solidarity Party or NSP [Steve CHIA]; Singapore Democratic
Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong] (includes SPP, PKMS, NSP, SJP);
Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Singapore
Justice Party or SJP [leader NA]; Singapore National Malay
Organization or PKMS [Muhammad ALI Aman]; Singapore People's Party
or SPP [CHIAM See Tong]; Workers' Party or WP [LOW Thia Kiang]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA