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After nine days of campaigning in Singapore, political analysts say that bigger picture issues like the economy, and jobs will sway the vote.
Local issues might dominate in some constituencies like Hougang and Potong Pasir, but they feel this election is very much about Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and what he will do for Singapore in the future.
Analysts laud the PAP for putting aside the James Gomez incident and re-focusing on the big issue at hand which, they say, is what the Prime Minister and his team will do for the country's future.
P N Balji, Media Consultant, said: "If you remove the sound and fury, you remove the high jinx of this election, what you really see is it all rests on one issue and that is the new prime minister. Why? Because this is his first election as PM, it is very important for him."
Prime Minister Lee has pressed ahead with mapping out what needs to be done in the next 10 to 15 years.
He has also made clear that this election is about giving him a clear mandate.
Besides the bigger picture, local needs like upgrading has dominated the hustings and analysts hope municipal wants will not be the one and only deciding factor.
Zulkifli Baharudin, Political Analyst, said: "If the election is about whether there're lifts or not on every floor then I am very disappointed. Elections should be about something far bigger and larger than that - our immediate bread and butter issues are important but they are not the only issue at elections."
Mr Balji said: "Some will be only interested in - do I have food on my table. There are such types of people in Singapore. Another group just can't be bothered. There is one group which will vote slightly differently, that is the young.
"A young person by the time he retires, he will have to move jobs 6 or 7 times and because of that instability, their interest in other issues like political freedom are put on the backburner."
Young voters make up 40 percent of the electorate, and analysts say they're the ones expected to buy the bigger picture issues, while some older Singaporeans might see lift upgrading as very crucial to their lives.
The million-dollar upgrading carrot in Potong Pasir and Hougang might turn out to be another reason that might push votes toward the PAP, they say.
Analysts say a measure of the PAP's success is likely to be the winning margin in terms of votes, as well as whether the PAP is able to win back one or two of the opposition wards.
Hence, on Saturday night, the focus will likely to be on the two constituencies where almost 40,000 will be voting. - CNA/ch
| Singapore Votes 2006: Channelnewsasia.com special coverage >>>
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