The daily said most analysts expected the budget for the financial year starting April 1 to be "chock-full of goodies" and some are already dubbing it an "election budget."

If the government aims to capitalise on a feel-good effect and call an election quickly after parliament approves it, then the earliest Singaporeans can expect to vote is March 25, it said.

The Straits Times said parliament could be dissolved when the budget debate ends, probably on March 10, with a deadline for nominations five days later and a minimum of nine days allocated for campaigning.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who took over from Goh Chok Tong in August 2004, need not call an election until June 2007, but is widely expected to opt for a vote in the first quarter.

Analysts predict that the People's Action Party (PAP) -- which has dominated parliament in the country's 40 years of independence -- would favour an early election against a backdrop of strong economic performance and jobs growth.

Singapore's trade-dependent economy grew 5.7 percent in 2005, the second-highest since 2000, which saw 9.6 percent growth.

Earlier this month, the prime minister instructed the elections department to update its register of eligible voters before Feb 28, a move widely seen as heralding a poll.

Victory for the ruling party is in no doubt but analysts say Lee is unlikely to match the 75 percent vote obtained by his predecessor Goh Chok Tong in 2001.

Local newspapers recently quoted Goh as saying that Lee must win strong popular support to take the country forward and that international investors would be watching the results.

"People want to have strong leadership for the country. They want to know where the country is heading. If in this election, for some strange reasons, the support is not there, people will wonder where the country is heading," Goh said.

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