But the current campaign has exposed differences between the governing elite and working-class voters who fear being left behind in Singapore's relentless drive to become one of the world's most open and globalised economies.

The government of Goh Chok Tong, the prime minister, is guaranteed victory as the cash-strapped and divided opposition will contest only a third of the 84 seats at stake. It is the third election in a row in which the opposition has failed to field a full slate of candidates.

Nonetheless, the opposition is hoping to make its best showing ever by raising the issue of social inequality as Singapore confronts its worst recession since independence in 1965.

The jobless rate is expected to rise to 4.5 per cent as the economy contracts by 3 per cent in a nation that lacks unemployment insurance.

"We say the PAP stands for Pay And Pay. We pay and the government gets rich. But they don't offer unemployment benefits when we need them," said a shopkeeper.

Some opposition parties have called for jobless benefits and a minimum wage, while criticising the government's policy of hiring "foreign talent" to help manage state-owned companies.

"The workers are paid very miserably, they have to take on two jobs just to make ends meet, and then the ministers pay themselves millions of dollars," said Chee Soon Juan, leader of the Singapore Democratic Party, referring to what are among the highest government salaries in the world.

The government has rejected the opposition proposals. It said unemployment benefits would create a dependency mentality among workers, while a minimum wage would make it more difficult for Singapore to attract foreign investment when it must compete against low-cost countries in the region.

The idea of unemployment benefits "is very appealing, but it will backfire, and backfire badly", said Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is tipped to become Singapore's next finance minister. "We should not help (the Singapore worker) stay unemployed, but help him to find new jobs."

The recession has also raised broader questions about Singapore's development model. The government has said it is not to be blamed for the severe slowdown as the export-dependent economy relies on external demand, which is weakening in the aftermath of September 11.

The opposition, however, has faulted the government for focusing too heavily on electronics as the core of the manufacturing sector, which has exposed Singapore to the sharp downturn in global demand for computer chips and other technology products.

Although Singapore's small population of 4m gives it little choice but to rely on exports for growth, private sector economists suggest that the country could do more to stimulate domestic demand by reducing the nation's high savings stockpile that has been accumulated in the absence of welfare benefits.

The dominance of the economy by state-owned companies has also been blamed for crowding out entrepreneurial companies that would encourage competition and innovation.

The government has recently tried to respond to some of these criticisms. Just a week before the election was called, it unveiled a record S$11.3bn stimulus package, which included tax cuts, infrastructure spending and cash hand-outs of S$2.7bn, mainly to low-income workers.

Singapore is also trying to broaden its manufacturing base by attracting foreign investments in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and software, while expanding high-value service industries such as healthcare.

Efforts to make state-owned companies more competitive have focused on international expansion. The DBS banking group this year bought Hong Kong's fourth-largest bank and Singapore Telecommunications acquired Australia's second-ranked phone operator at premium prices. But some overseas deals have soured, such as Singapore Airlines' writing off most of its stake in Air New Zealand after the Wellington government nationalised the carrier to save it from collapse.

Whether fears of the economic slowdown will translate into votes for the opposition remains uncertain. The government argues that it has a solid track record in delivering prosperity, while it says the opposition lacks credible alternative plans.

Moreover, harsh government criticism of Mr Chee, the opposition's most vocal advocate of social benefits, has distracted attention from economic issues in the last few days of the campaign.

On Tuesday (Oct 30) , Mr Chee was threatened with a libel suit for allegedly defaming the prime minister. If a case is brought and he is found guilty, he would become the latest of several opposition leaders who have fallen foul of Singapore's tough libel laws and be barred from holding political office.

Mr Goh said the election amounts to a referendum on his programme. The loss of more than the two seats the opposition now holds and a vote of less than 65 per cent for the PAP would be considered a setback for the government.