The Straits Times, Singapore's flagship newspaper, which assiduously toes the government line, has called the race a "defining election," implying that for the first time since full independence in 1965 the fragmented and largely oppressed opposition might actually pick up a significant minority in the parliament. It is difficult to figure out what the true picture is, since the government has outlawed polling.
So far, there has been little of the browbeating that has characterized previous races when the family of Lee Kuan Yew, modern Singapore's founder, has used defamation and other laws to pursue opposition members ruthlessly, bankrupting them and arresting them on flimsy pretexts.
Many observers believe the real test of the current election is whether, following the May 7 polls, the Lees or the government will once again take to the courts to sue opposition members for defamation or contempt of court for making what in most democratic countries would be regarded as legitimate campaign statements. Full story
