Editing Politics of Singapore (section)

==Legislative==

===Parliament===

{{Main|Parliament of Singapore}}

[[File:Parliament House Singapore.jpg|thumb|[[Parliament House, Singapore|Parliament House]]]]

The [[unicameral]] Singaporean parliament is the legislature in Singapore with the president as its head.<ref>{{cite web | title=About Us | work=Parliament of Singapore website | url=http://www.parliament.gov.sg/AboutUs/aboutus-main.htm | access-date=22 April 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424172235/http://www.parliament.gov.sg/AboutUs/aboutus-main.htm | archive-date=24 April 2006 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Before independence in 1965, it was known as the [[Legislative Assembly]]. It currently consists of 93 members of parliament. The maximum term of any one parliament is five years, after which a [[general election]] must be held within three months of the [[dissolution of parliament]].

The 93 elected members of parliament (MPs) are elected on a [[plurality voting system|plurality voting]] basis and represent either single-member [[constituencies of Singapore|constituencies]] (SMCs) or group representation constituencies (GRCs). In GRCs, political parties field a team of between three and six candidates. At least one candidate in the team must belong to a minority race.<ref name="TheLegislature">{{cite web | title=The Legislature | work=Attorney-General's Chambers of Singapore website | url=http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=1999-REVED-CONST&doctitle=CONSTITUTION%20OF%20THE%20REPUBLIC%20OF%20SINGAPORE%0a&date=latest&method=part&segid=931158660-001483#931158660-001529 | access-date=22 April 2006}}</ref>

Formerly, there were no GRCs, and all constituencies of Singapore were represented by one member, but amendments to the [[Parliamentary Elections Act]] in 1991 led to the creation of GRCs, thus creating a plurality voting system in the process.<ref>{{cite web|title=Parliamentary Elections Act|publisher=Singapore Statutes Online|url=http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=2001-REVED-218&doctitle=PARLIAMENTARY%20ELECTIONS%20ACT%0A&segid=946439076-000003|access-date=2006-05-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Legislation history|publisher=Singapore Statutes Online|url=http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=2001-REVED-218&doctitle=PARLIAMENTARY%20ELECTIONS%20ACT%0A&segid=946439077-003161|access-date=2006-05-08}}</ref>

This development has led to complaints from opposition parties that they are often unable to field one, let alone three or more candidates. Out of the 93 members of parliament, 26 are female.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-12|title=ELD {{!}} 2020 Parliamentary General Election Results|url=https://www.eld.gov.sg/finalresults2020.html|access-date=2020-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712012306/https://www.eld.gov.sg/finalresults2020.html|archive-date=12 July 2020}}</ref> In the [[2001 Singaporean general election|2001]] and [[2006 Singaporean general election|2006]] general election, the incumbent People's Action Party (PAP) won the same configuration of 82 out of the 84 seats.<ref>{{cite news | title =  Singapore's PAP returned to power  | publisher = Channel NewsAsia | date = 7 May 2006 | url = http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/206936/1/.html}}</ref> The final results of the [[2020 Singaporean general election|2020 general election]] saw a 8.62% swing against the PAP from the [[2015 Singaporean general election|2015 elections]] of 69.86%.<ref>{{Cite news|last=hermesauto|date=2020-07-12|title=Singapore GE2020: PAP will have to review broader issues behind overall swing in votes, says Tan Chuan-Jin|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/singapore-ge2020-pap-will-have-to-review-broader-issues-behind-overall-swing-in-votes-says|access-date=2020-07-15|website=The Straits Times|language=en}}</ref>

The constitution also allows for the appointment of additional members of parliament who are not elected during an election. Up to six [[Non-Constituency Member of Parliament|non-constituency members of parliament]] from the opposition political parties can be appointed.<ref name="TheLegislature"/> Currently, there are two non-constituency members of parliament.

A constitutional provision for the appointment of up to nine [[Nominated Member of Parliament|nominated members of parliament]] (NMPs) was made in 1990.<ref name="TheLegislature"/> NMPs are appointed by the president for a term of two and a half years on the recommendation of a [[Select committee (United Kingdom)|select committee]] chaired by the [[List of Speakers of the Parliament of Singapore|speaker of Parliament]] and are not connected to any political parties. The youngest NMP to be sworn into parliament was 26 years old, [[Yip Pin Xiu]].

In 2018, nine NMPs were sworn in, out of which five were female.

Both non-constituency and nominated members of parliament cannot vote on the following issues:
*[[constitutional amendment|amendment of the constitution]]
*[[budget|public funds]]
*[[vote of no confidence]] in the government
*removing the president from office

===Legislative process===
Before any law is passed, it is first introduced in parliament as a draft known as a bill. Bills are usually introduced by a minister on behalf of the cabinet, known as government bills. However, any member of parliament can introduce a bill, known as a private member's bill. All bills must go through three readings in parliament and receive the president's assent to become an [[act of Parliament]].

Each bill goes through several stages before it becomes a law. The first stage is a mere formality known as the [[first reading]], where it is introduced without a debate. This is followed by the [[second reading]], where members of parliament debate on the general principles of the bill. If parliament opposes the bill, it may vote to reject the bill.

If the bill goes through the second reading, the bill is sent to a select committee where every clause in the bill is examined. Members of parliament who support the bill in principle but do not agree with certain clauses can propose amendments to those clauses at this stage. Following its report back to parliament, the bill will go through its [[third reading]] where only minor amendments will be allowed before it is passed.

Most bills passed by parliament are scrutinised by the [[Presidential Council for Minority Rights]] which makes a report to the speaker of Parliament stating whether there are clauses in a bill which affects any racial or religious community.<ref>{{cite web | title=Law Making | work=Singapore Parliament website | url=http://www.parliament.gov.sg/AboutUs/Func-LM.htm | access-date=22 April 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060519150655/http://www.parliament.gov.sg/AboutUs/Func-LM.htm | archive-date=19 May 2006 | url-status=dead }}</ref> If approved by the council, the bill will be presented for the president's assent.

The last stage involves the granting of assent by the president, before the bill officially becomes a law.

===Constitution===
{{Main|Constitution of Singapore}}
The Constitution of Singapore is the supreme law of [[Singapore]]<ref name="Republic">{{cite web | title= The Republic and the Constitution | work=Attorney-General's Chambers of Singapore website | url=http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=1999-REVED-CONST&doctitle=CONSTITUTION%20OF%20THE%20REPUBLIC%20OF%20SINGAPORE%0a&date=latest&method=part&segid=931158659-000167#931158659-000174 | access-date=22 April 2006}}</ref> and it is a [[codified constitution]].

The constitution cannot be amended without the support of more than two-thirds of the members of parliament on the second and third readings.<ref name="Republic"/> The president may seek opinion on constitutional issues from a tribunal consisting of not less than three judges of the [[Supreme Court of Singapore|Supreme Court]]. Singaporean courts, like the courts in Australia, cannot offer [[advisory opinion]] on the constitutionality of laws.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Judiciary | work=Attorney-General's Chambers of Singapore website | url=http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=1999-REVED-CONST&doctitle=CONSTITUTION%20OF%20THE%20REPUBLIC%20OF%20SINGAPORE%0a&date=latest&method=part&segid=931158660-002294#931158660-002388 | access-date=22 April 2006}}</ref>

Part IV of the constitution guarantees the following:<ref>{{cite web | title=Fundamental Liberties | work=Attorney-General's Chambers of Singapore website | url=http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=1999-REVED-CONST&doctitle=CONSTITUTION%20OF%20THE%20REPUBLIC%20OF%20SINGAPORE%0a&date=latest&method=part&segid=931158659-000271#931158659-000271 | access-date=22 April 2006}}</ref>
#[[individual liberty|liberty of a person]]
#prohibition of [[slavery]] and [[forced labour]]
#protection against [[Ex post facto law|retrospective criminal laws]] and [[double jeopardy|repeated trials]]
#[[equal protection]]
#prohibition of [[Exile|banishment]] and [[freedom of movement]]
#[[freedom of speech]], [[freedom of assembly|assembly]] and [[freedom of association|association]]
#[[freedom of religion]]
#[[right to education]]

The sections on liberty of the person and freedoms of speech, assembly, movement, association and religion are all qualified by allowing Parliament to restrict those freedoms for reasons including national security, public health, and "public order or morality". In practice, the courts have given complete discretion to the government in imposing such restrictions.

Part XII of the constitution allows the [[Parliament of Singapore]] to enact legislation designed to stop or prevent [[subversion (political)|subversion]]. Such legislation is valid even if it is inconsistent with Part IV of the constitution. The [[Internal Security Act (Singapore)|Internal Security Act]] (ISA) is a legislation under such provision. In 1966, [[Chia Thye Poh]] was detained under the ISA and was imprisoned for 23 years without trial. Afterwards, he was placed under conditions of house arrest for another nine years.