Parties may not display face of individuals other than party leader: ELD

Update: The Elections Department, in a response at 2:42 pm, stated that political parties are not allowed to display the face of any individual other than the designated party leader on campaign posters across all constituencies*.

Despite stepping down as Secretary-General of the People’s Action Party (PAP) following the 38th Central Executive Committee election, Lee Hsien Loong’s face could still feature prominently on campaign posters island-wide during Singapore’s next general election, mirroring his visibility in the 2015 election.

This speculation arises from alleged amendments to election regulations, reportedly discussed during a briefing held by the Elections Department (ELD) in October this year.

These changes allegedly permit political parties to feature the face of an individual who is not their leader on campaign materials across all constituencies.

Historical precedent from 2015

In the 2015 general election, ELD clarified that it was lawful for the face of a political leader to appear on campaign posters in constituencies where they were not candidates.

Posters of then-Secretary General Lee Hsien Loong, who contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC, were displayed across Singapore.

The clarification, published on Gov.Sg’s Factually page, stated: “Under the law, the face of the political party’s leader can be used in the posters for the candidates standing for that political party, since voters would be able to identify the political party leader with that political party. This has been the practice in past elections.”

The same occurred during GE2020, where Lee Hsien Loong had his posters displayed across Singapore as Secretary-General of the PAP.

The Online Citizen has reached out to the ELD and government ministers for confirmation of these regulatory changes. However, as of the time of publication of this article, no responses have been received.

If these alleged amendments are accurate, the practice could now extend beyond party leaders to include other designated individuals, further expanding campaign strategies available to political parties.

*Section 9 of the Parliamentary Elections (Election Advertising) Regulations 2024, published in May, outline specific rules regarding traditional election advertisements during a campaign period.

It prohibits the public display of such advertisements outside the electoral division to which they refer if they explicitly or implicitly reference the election or any candidate contesting in that division.

However, an exception is provided for general elections, allowing a political party to display advertisements featuring the name or image of a person designated as the leader of all its candidates.

Each party can designate only one leader, and this designation must be formally notified to the Returning Officer before such advertisements are displayed. This means that if Lee Hsien Loong is designated as the PAP’s leader, his face could still be featured island-wide.

Speculation on election timing

The next general election must be held by November 2025. However, many speculate that it could follow the precedent set by the 2015 election, which coincided with Singapore’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. That timing leveraged national pride and festive momentum to energise voters.

Similarly, the 60th anniversary in 2025 could serve as a precursor to the election, potentially featuring celebratory events and generous handouts aimed at boosting public sentiment.

What differentiates the current context from 2015, however, is the absence of a significant event, such as the passing of a founding minister, which formed the backdrop to the 2015 election.