Singapore
Sanskrit Singa pura `city of the lion´
Country in southeast Asia, off the tip of the Malay Peninsula.
Government
Singapore has a single-tier system of government. The constitution
of 1965, amended 1991, provides for a one-chamber parliament,
whose 81 members are elected for five-year terms by universal
suffrage from 40 single-member wards, two `non- constituency´
seats (with restricted voting rights), intended for opposition
candidates, and, from 1988, 13 three -member Group Representation
Constituencies (GRC) through a simple plurality system. At least
one member contesting the multimember GRCs must be of non-Chinese
racial origin. Since 1990, the government has been able to nominate
up to six politically neutral members of parliament, who serve
two-year terms and can vote on all but financial and constitutional
legislation.
Parliament debates and votes on legislation. Executive power
is held by a prime minister and cabinet drawn from the majority
party within parliament, and by a president who, since 1991, is
directly elected, with powers over financial matters and senior
military and government appointments (including the post of prime
minister). The president serves a six-year term. Stringent eligibility
rules ensure that the president is drawn from the country's political-
economic establishment.
|
