Singapore's ruling party expected to be challenged on praliament seats

Singapore's ruling People's Action Party (PAP) is expected to be challenged on 89 parliamentary seats as candidates are filing their nomination papers Tuesday morning.

PAP has unveiled its entire slate of 89 candidates in advance of Nomination Day. The parliamentary seats were split into 16 group representation constituencies (GRC), where the candidates from a contesting party is required to be fielded as a team, and 13 single member constituencies.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, also PAP secretary- general, arrived at a nomination center for his Ang Mo Kio GRC Tuesday morning. The opposition Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang was also there, leading a strong team to contest for the parliamentary seats.

The general election polls have been set on Sept. 11. The party winning the general election will form the government.

PAP has been the ruling party since the independence of the city state in 1965. In the last general election in 2011, 82 of the 87 seats in Parliament were contested. The only walkover was the five-member Tanjong Pagar GRC helmed by Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who died in March this year. Enditem