新加坡 « ŚIN1 KA5 P‛O5 »
— Also: 新加坡 « Śin5 Ćia5 P‛uo5 »; சிங்கப்பூர் « Ciŋkappūr »; Singapura.
— Officially: 新加坡共和国 « Śin1 Ka5 P‛o5 Kiòŋ3 Hǝ23 Kòk32 » / « Śin5 Ćia5 P‛uo5 Kuŋ51 Xǝ35 Kuo35 »; சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு « Ciŋkappūr Kutijaracu »; Repablik Singapura.
— English: Singapore.
— Status: Not democratic.
— Structure: Dominant-party state. In theory, parliament is elected in geographical constituencies and chooses the prime minister; a small number of non-constituency members may be chosen from among the losing opposition candidates.
— Governing party: 人民行動黨 « Źin35 Bin35 Heŋ35 Toŋ3 Toŋ53 » (since 1959).
— Head of government: 李顯龍 « Li214 Śien214 Luŋ35 », prime minister (since 2004).
— Chief opposition parties: 工人黨 « Kaŋ4 Laŋ23 Toŋ53 »; 新加坡人民黨 « Śin1 Ka5 P‛o5 Laŋ23 Bin23 Toŋ53 ».
— Assessment: Authoritarian. The 人民行動黨 « Źin35 Bin35 Heŋ35 Toŋ3 Toŋ53 » has claimed victory in every single election, beginning with the 1959 election immediately preceding independence. The state was controlled by founding prime minister 李光耀 « Li214 Kuaŋ5 Iau51 » (1959-90) long after his official retirement; he chose his own successor as prime minister, 吳作棟 « Gò35 Cok1 Toŋ21 » (1990-2004), and then installed his son as 吳 « Gò35 »’s successor. The ruling party routinely uses its power to destroy any threatened opposition. In four straight parliaments (1968, 1972, 1976, 1980), there were no opposition members; subsequent elections featured non-constituency membership, but opposition members then only ranged from one to four, until reaching six in 2011.
— FH: 5-4, partly free (not democratic). Econ: 5.89 (82), hybrid.
— Updated: 2015 April 20.
O.T. FORD