Singapore (VNA) – Political parties in Singaporewrapped up their nine days of campaigning on July 8 and they are having theCooling-off Day on July 9 before over 2.65 million voters go to cast their ballotson the next day.

This year’s election campaigns were special asthey were mainly carried out online. Parties made full use of TV channels,newspapers and social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to reachvoters.

However, direct campaigning activities stilltook place. Due to restrictions on mass gatherings to curb the spread ofCOVID-19, candidates moved in groups of not more than five people to meet andpersuade voters to vote for them.

With advantages of the ruling party, thePeople’s Action Party made more concrete commitments to attract voters’ supportsuch as accelerating suspended infrastructure projects, building newentertainment sites, and upgrading government-built flats. In fact, its toppriorities are still post-pandemic economic recovery and job creation.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore isfacing an unprecedented crisis and the new government will need strong mandatefrom the people to lead the country through COVID-19-induced difficulties.

Meanwhile, opposition parties, including theWorkers’ Party, the Progress Singapore Party and the Singapore Democratic Partywhich vie for many seats, also actively held campaigning activities. 

They focused on existing problems in societylike escalating prices, wealth gap, social discrimination or the currentadministration’s mistakes in the coronavirus control at foreign migrantworkers’ dormitories./.