The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) must address the economic hardship confronting Singaporeans who face their deepest recession since 1985, SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan said at a media briefing.

"We know that the PAP is going into an election facing a recession. It will do anything to distract the voters ... turn their attention away from the recession," said Chee.

Racial harmony has taken on increased importance in multi-racial and multi-religious Singapore in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States, and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has appealed for national unity.

Singapore's 3.2 million population is 76.8 percent Chinese, 14 percent Malay -- most of whom follow Islam -- and 7.9 percent Indian.

"With the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC, and the bombing of Afghanistan by the United States and Britain, race relations in Singapore are in danger of being exploited by political parties, especially during the general election which is expected to be called soon," said Chee.

The government is not scheduled to call an election before August next year, but there are growing signs it will go to the polls early, possibly before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan which starts in mid-November.

Chee said Singapore faced grave economic problems and called on the government to give its assurance that racial issues will not be raised during the elections.

"We are facing a very serious recession and we want the PAP to address these concerns ... and not use it as a bogey to distract the attention of the focus," he said.

The government is due to release October 10 the third-quarter gross domestic figures from July and August and economists are tipping a contraction of up to 6.0 percent from a year ago.

Goh has already warned the economy is going to contract this year and the government is widely expected to trim once again its growth forecast of 0.5 to 1.5 percent.

A second off-budget stimulus package, in addition to the S$2.2 billion (US$1.2 billion) relief measures announced in July, will be unveiled on Friday to boost the ailing economy.
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