Although non-partisan, the poll is widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Prime Minister Lee's government, where his party returned to power with its worst electoral result since Independence. Assistant Professor Eugene Tan said, ?There is still residual unhappiness among some voters over the so-called watershed election in May. Opposition supporters might treat the presidential election as a by-election or a general election part II and prefer a candidate who is not aligned with the PAP at all.?
Deutsche Presse-Agentur