[Why is everyone talking about elections?]
It seems that there has been a lot of talk about elections in Singapore this week. But first, let's examine why there could be and why not.

I've been reading various blogs and being a party member, I know the official rhetoric. A plausible reason why there could be elections in such bad times is that society pulls together in tough times. Common examples cited by party members are in times of crisis like when there was SARS or economic downturn.

But to counter that though, a Prime Minister will call elections at times where he thinks he will get the best mandate. Usually, these are periods of good growth and when the fruits of labour can be tasted. If following such an argument, it would be unlikely that elections are on the cards unless the economy worsens.

Having been through the process of elections in 2006, several signs suggest to me that it may not be soon. For one, although there was a briefing for civil servants on elections last year, the electoral register to allow citizens to participate in elections has not been opened for scrutiny. Secondly, the final map of electoral boundaries has not been released. These are sure signs of impending elections. For now, talk about the ordering of party flags from overseas may just well be rumours of impending elections. I think we should wait for more concrete evidence before jumping to a speculation that elections are round the corner.