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: |
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 Tony TAN Keng Yam (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 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,
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 [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 [Muhammad
ALI Aman] (SDA group); Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong]
(SDA group); Workers' Party or WP [LOW Thia Kiang] |
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
International organization participation: |
APEC, 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, NAM,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
consulate(s):
New York
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
FAX:
[1] (202) 537-0876
telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100
chancery:
3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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 |
