People's Action Party
The People's Action Party (abbreviated PAP, Chinese人民 行动 党/人民 行动 党, pinyin: Rénmín Xíngdòngdǎng, tamil. மக்கள் செயல் கட்சி, Malay Parti Tindakan Rakyat translated: People's Action Party ) is a conservative political party in Singapore, even though they former times was a member of the Socialist International. Since 1959 she is the ruling party and has thus played an important role in the formation of various governments in Singapore. Since the election of 1959, the party dominated the political landscape in the parliamentary system of government of the Asian city-state and was thus an extremely important factor for the political, economic and social development of the country into an industrial nation. From opposition parties, the PAP has been accused of unfair aid to have strengthened its role as a dominant force through laws passed in Parliament. The PAP is in favor of meritocracy and is overall rather a pragmatic as an ideological party. A liberal democracy in the Western sense, it also rejects as the welfare state socialist character. On the other hand, it supports maximum economic freedom, Asian values and emphasizes law and order.
In the parliamentary elections of 2006, the PAP 82 of 84 possible seats in the Parliament of Singapore won, and 2011 81 of 87
Political development
The party was founded in 1954 by educated men in England from the middle class, who had returned from the UK to their home. In the election of 1955, were to be elected in 25 of the 32 seats, the PAP won three seats, the future Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew got them one. Since the election of 1959, the People's Action Party of Singapore, the government has largely controlled. In every election - except in 1955 - it has since gained an overwhelming majority of seats. In the years 1968 to 1980, she even had occupied all the seats in Parliament.
Between 1963 and 1965, Singapore was part of Malaysia, the PAP was thus a Malaysian party. The views, the PAP could play a strong political role in the country, however, angered the ruling United Malays National Organisation and the Malaysian faith in the Ketuanan Melayu.