Singapore Government:
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore
Government type:
Parliamentary republic
Capital:
Singapore
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
National holiday:
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); note -
head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004); Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004); Minister Mentor LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Ministers Shunmugan JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August 2004) and Tony TAN Keng Yam (since 1 August 1995); note -
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament
elections: President elected by popular vote for six-year term; last appointed 17 August 2005 (next election to be held by August 2011); following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN appointed president in August 2005 after Presidential Elections Committee disqualified three other would-be candidates
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 not later than 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, SPP 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 [LEE Hsien Loong]; opposition parties: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [LING How Dong]; National Solidarity Party or NSP [vacant] (SDA group); 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 [Desmond LIM] (SDA group); Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS [Malik ISMAIL] (SDA group); Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong] (SDA group); Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia Lim Swee LIAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
chancery:
3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 537-3100
FAX:
[1] (202) 537-0876
consulate(s) general:
San Francisco
consulate(s):
New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Franklin L. LAVIN
embassy:
27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508
mailing address:
FPO AP 96507-0001
telephone:
[65] 6476-9100
FAX:
[65] 6476-9340
Flag description:
Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
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