Singapore has continued to make moves that hint at the possibility of an election taking place soon. The latest is a bill in the country’s parliament that seeks to ensure the safety of voters if elections are held during the coronavirus pandemic.

Presenting the bill before the National Assembly on Tuesday, Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Investment, noted that the bill does not exactly hint at the timing of the elections. “This bill forms part of ELD’s (the Elections Department) contingency planning for the next GE (general election),” he said, “It is not related to the timing of the general election.”

Coincidentally, the bill was submitted the same day as the start of the country’s month-long partial lockdown which closes down schools and most workplaces until May 4 as part of efforts to curb the sharply-rising coronavirus situation. It would allow those under isolation orders to vote outside their electoral districts and also allow candidates who are incapacitated, hospitalised or in a self-quarantine vote by filing nomination papers using a third party.

The Elections Department said the temporary arrangements will “ensure the safety of voters, candidates and election officials, should the next General Election (GE) take place amid the COVID-19 situation.” It has also stated that the bill is only applicable to the parliamentary elections and not future polls in the country.

Another major adjustment from the bill is the permission for aspiring electoral candidates in Singapore to nominate a representative to help them file their nomination papers if they are unable to do so themselves because of a COVID -19 quarantine or stay order, hospitalization or ill health.

Opposition parties in Singapore have continued to criticize the thought of an election during the period as coronavirus numbers continue to rise with patients in Singapore moving up to 1,375 over the past week. Under the constitution, Singapore must hold elections by April 2021.