Pritam Singh, the leader of Singapore's Workers' Party, has been convicted of lying to Parliament, a ruling that could prevent him from running in the upcoming national elections. Singh, 48, was found guilty on two counts related to his involvement in covering up a false witness account. The conviction is a significant setback for Singapore's political opposition, which has been striving to challenge the long-standing dominance of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in the upcoming elections.

Singh was convicted on Monday for his role in misleading a parliamentary committee that was investigating a fellow party member, Raeesah Khan. Khan had resigned from her position as a Member of Parliament after admitting to fabricating a story about accompanying a rape victim to a police station, claiming that a police officer had made inappropriate comments. It was later revealed that no such incident had occurred, and Khan confessed to lying about the details.

Singh, as the secretary-general of the Workers' Party, was accused of lying to the committee investigating Khan’s false testimony. He allegedly told the committee that he had no knowledge of Khan’s fabrication, an attempt to downplay his own responsibility in the matter. Court documents revealed Singh’s actions were intended to deflect attention from his role in the party’s handling of the incident.

The conviction has major implications for Singh's political future, as the upcoming elections are expected to be held before November. Under Singapore’s constitution, anyone who is fined at least Sg$10,000 (about $7,400) or jailed for over a year is disqualified from running for office or holding a parliamentary seat for five years. Singh could face a sentence of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to Sg$7,000 for each of the two charges against him.

This conviction strikes a blow to the Workers' Party, which made significant gains in the 2020 general elections. The PAP won 83 of the 93 contested seats, but the Workers' Party made history by securing 10 seats, four more than they had previously held. As Singapore heads toward its next election, Singh’s legal situation could have serious consequences for the opposition party’s ability to expand its presence in Parliament.

The ruling also coincides with the political rise of Singapore's new premier, Lawrence Wong, who is facing his first major electoral challenge.