Basket.

It is all over - Election 2006, that is. And the results:

Single-Member Constituencies

Bukit Panjang - PAP (Mr Teo Ho Pin) 77.18%, SDP (Mr Ling How Doong) 22.92%
Joo Chiat - PAP (Mr Chan Soo Sen) 65.01%, SDA (Mr Tan Bin Seng) 34.99%
Nee Soon East - PAP (Mr Ho Peng Kee) 68.72%, WP (Mr Poh Lee Guan) 31.28%
Choa Chu Kang - PAP (Mr Gan Kim Yong) 60.37%, SDA (Mr Steve Chia) 39.63%
MacPherson - PAP (Mr Matthias Yao) 68.48%, SDA (Mr Sin Kek Tong) 31.52%
Potong Pasir - SDA (Mr Chiam See Tong) 55.84%, PAP (Mr Sitoh Yih Pin) 44.16%
Hougang - WP (Mr Low Thia Khiang) 62.74%, PAP (Mr Eric Low) 37.26%
Nee Soon Central - PAP (Mr Ong Ah Heng) 65.37%, WP (Mr Lian Chin Way) 34.63%
Yio Chu Kang - PAP (Mr Seng Han Thong) 68.27%, SDA (Mr Yip Yew Weng) 31.73%


Group Representation Constituencies

Ang Mo Kio - PAP 66.13%, WP 33.84%
Pasir Ris-Punggol - PAP 68.7%, SDA 31.3%
Sembawang - PAP 76.7%, SDP 23.3%
Aljunied - PAP 56.08%, WP 43.92%
East Coast - PAP 63.85%, WP 36.15%
Jalan Besar - PAP 69.25%, SDA 30.75%
Tampines - PAP 68.51%, SDA 30.49%

Grand total: PAP wins election with 66.6% of the vote.

Obviously, they are calling this a strong mandate, but the PAP does have reason to worry. For one, they failed to wrest back Hougang and Potong Pasir, despite dangling vastly expensive upgrading "carrots" and despite "parachuting" Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in to aid their candidates. As a matter of fact, the PAP was soundly beaten in both constituencies. It seems that it has to find another way to appeal to the voters from opposition wards, who have shown their intense loyalty to their Members of Parliament.

Elsewhere, a young Workers' Party team managed to garner 34% of the vote in Ang Mo Kio GRC - not a bad showing at all considering they were young, first-timers and facing none other than the Prime Minister himself. In Aljunied, the margin was even closer, as the WP garnered 44% of the vote, beating even the percentage they gained in Cheng San in 1997 (41%). All in all, a good election for the WP, who despite (or maybe because of) the storm in a minority representation form managed to hand the PAP a beating in Hougang and run the PAP close in the GRCs they contested. A portent for the future?

While the WP rises, the Singapore Democratic Party looks finished. Dogged by lawsuits, money problems and rumours of infighting, the SDP failed abjectly at the polls as Chairman Ling How Doong was thrashed in Bukit Panjang and the SDP team roundly defeated in Sembawang. Although they did get back their deposits, at least, this election might just be the last for the SDP. In any case, it has ceased to be a significant force in Singaporean politics. A sad ending for a party that once held three seats in Parliament.

And thusly, the PAP retained its hold over Parliament, but failed to repeat its glorious showing of 2001, when it managed to get 75% of the vote. The opposition wards stayed in opposition hands and a rising WP finally poses a real challenge. There will be plenty to think about for the PM the next time round.