Singapore rejects UN calls for independent election body

James Gomez

New Asia Republic thanks Dr James Gomez for this guest contribution. The author is the Executive Director of Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD).

Navanethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, addresses the 66th General Assembly


The Singapore government yesterday officially rejected United Nations (UN) member state recommendations to establish an independent human rights institution and an election body.

These recommendations were made as part of the interactive dialogue and response to Singapore`s human rights record under the Universal Periodic Review on 6 May 2011, which incidentally was polling day for Singapore`s most recent elections.

The Republic of Moldova and South Africa both encouraged Singapore to establish a human rights institution accredited by international standards, while Canada additionally recommended the establishment of an independent elections body.

The call to establish these bodies also formed part of the recommendations by different Singaporean civil society groups including MARUAH and Think Centre whose responses were summarised into a special report to the UN by the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR).

Political association, Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD) complimentarily submitted a specialist report making three recommendation for electoral reform, including the establishment of an independent electoral commission.

During the review in May 2011, Singapore accepted 52 recommendations, rejected 21, and deferred 39 for further consideration.

In the Addendum to the UN Working Group report on Singapore formally adopted on 22 September 2011, the Singapore government rejected the calls to establish these key independent bodies.

The calls to establish these key independent bodies is significant because during the UPR process it was mainly authoritarian states that endorsed the Singaporean government`s present human rights record.

Developing countries were coy, raising only development issues and praised action which involved their countries directly. For instance, the Philippines applauded legislation that improved the welfare of foreign household service workers in the city-state. Others from Asia were otherwise mostly neighbourly.

It was democratic states that questioned the Singapore government`s human rights record squarely including the need to do away with the death penalty and to ensure better conditions for women prisoners.

Again both these recommendations were rejected in the Addendum by Singapore foreign ministry representatives in Geneva citing the Singapore government`s current international position on these protocols.

That the call to establish an independent election is a difficult one for the current Singapore government to ignore can be seen in foreign ministry representatives` efforts to elaborate in detail the government rejection.

According to UN documents, “Singapore noted that the crux of the issues was whether there was an agency that conducted its business in a fair and transparent manner and was trusted by the public”.

In the same documents, the Singapore government claimed because the conduct of elections was carried by civil servants, their work was objective.

However, this does not match with the realities on the ground. The Election Department in Singapore has not satisfactorily responded to queries and complaints lodged with it about incidents from the last elections.

For instance, NGO Singaporeans For Democracy have yet to hear from the Elections Department about a complaint filed with them on 25 May 2011 about the inappropriate display of Town Council banners spotting images of PAP candidates during the recent elections.

With Singapore`s next elections and the UN`s UPR both 5 years away, it is important to keep the spotlight on the Election Department and continue the calls for an independent elections commission.

Singapore`s Election Department being under the Prime Minister`s office is not in keeping with international best practices.

Photo courtesy of the United Nations.