The republic of Singapore follows a parliamentary system of government.
Singapore Government has an honorary Head of State and this post is occupied by the President. The cabinet, formed by ministers, is the decision-making body headed by the Prime Minister.
The Constitution of Singapore the President honors the President as the Head of State. The President holds office for a period of six years. Till the year 1991 the President of Singapore was appointed by the Parliament. But 1991 marked the year when the President became an elected representative of the people of Singapore. The present President of Singapore Mr. S.R. Nathan was re-elected to this post in 2005 and still holds office.
Although the President is the Head of State of Singapore, the real administrative and governmental powers of Singaporean government lie with the Cabinet. Article 24 of the Singapore Constitution lays down the rules for the formation of the Cabinet. Headed by the Prime Minister and supported by a group of ministers, the Cabinet takes call on all governmental policies and decides on the administrative front.
There are several political parties that fight elections to form the government of Singapore. Some of the parties such as Singapore Democratic Party, The Worker's Party, Singaporeans For Democracy and People's Action Party, are the major parties that contest the elections in Singapore. Government is formed by that party which holds a 50% majority in the elections that are held every five years. Ever since Singapore gained self-governance, elections have been held to choose the party that can form the government.
The following list gives the names of some of the government ministries that help in the day-to-day administration of Singapore:
- Ministry of Defense
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Law
- Ministry of Trade and Industry
- Ministry of Home Affairs
- Ministry of Transport
The government of Singapore boasts of fair play and transparency at every level of administration. It has earned international reputation as being one of the least corrupted governments of the world and also one of the most efficient governments. A lot of hard work, dedication and honesty on the part of the Singapore government officials have gone into gaining this status and repute.
