Singaporean general election, 1997

← 1991

2 January 1997

2001 →

83 seats (Plus 1 NCMP) to the Parliament of Singapore
Only 36 seats contested
42 seats needed for a majority

Turnout

95.9%

	First party	Second party	Third party

Leader	Goh Chok Tong	J.B. Jeyaretnam	Chiam See Tong
Party	PAP	WP	SPP
Leader since	1992	1972	1996
Leader's seat	Marine Parade GRC	Cheng San GRC (lost)	Potong Pasir SMC
Last election	77 seats, 61%	1 seat, 1.2%	None
Seats won	81	1 + 1 NCMP	1
Seat change	4	0	1
Popular vote	465,751	101,544	16,746
Percentage	65.0%	14.2%(total) / 37.6%(valid)	2.3%(total) / 27.2%(valid)
Swing	4.0%	0.1%/3.5%	2.3%/27.2%

Prime Minister before election

Goh Chok Tong
PAP

Elected Prime Minister

Goh Chok Tong
PAP

The 1997 Singaporean parliamentary election was an election in Singapore which was held on 2 January 1997. 765,332 out of the eligible 1.8 million voters voted and selected their next government. The election results was released in the late evening that day and the ruling People's Action Party won a total of 81 out of 83 seats as well as a tenth consecutive term in office under the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. Other major political parties contesting in the election were the Workers' Party, Singapore Democratic Party, National Solidarity Party, Singapore People's Party and the Democratic Progressive Party.

After nomination day on 23 December 1996, the People's Action Party returned to power with a total of 47 out of the total 83 seats and could form a government on nomination day. On polling day, voters voted for the election for their members of parliament with all but two seats going to the PAP. In this election, Group Representation Constituencies were increased from four members to five and six members. Housing issues were one of the issues raised during the election.

This was another opportunity for Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to score a better mandate after PAP's considerably poorer showing in the 1991 election. Two seats in PAP-held Eunos and Toa Payoh GRCs were vacated after the death of MP, Dr Tay Eng Soon and inauguration of former Deputy PM Ong Teng Cheong as Singapore's fifth and first elected President in 1993 respectively. The former GRC, which twice saw narrow wins against WP, was dispersed into neighbouring constituencies.

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