SINGAPORE - Air-time on free-to-air radio and television will be allocated for party political broadcasts for the Sept 11 General Election, the Media Development Authority (MDA) announced on Wednesday (Sept 2).

There will be two broadcasts - from 8pm on Thursday, Sept 3, and from 9pm on Sept 10.

While no campaigning is allowed on Cooling-Off Day, party political broadcasts are among the exceptions to prohibited campaign activities on the day before Singaporeans go to the polls.

Since the 1980 General Election, political parties that are fielding at least six candidates under a recognised party symbol will be eligible for air-time on the broadcasts.

This means that eight of the nine parties contesting the upcoming election will be included, leaving only the People's Power Party - which is fielding four candidates - out of the broadcasts.

The two independents contesting the elections - Ms Han Hui Hui (Radis Mas SMC) and Mr Samir Salim Neji (Bukit Batok SMC) - will also not be given air-time.

The duration of the broadcasts ranges from 2 1/2 minutes for the Singapore Democratic Alliance, 3 minutes for the Singapore People's Party, Singaporeans First, Reform Party and Singapore Democratic Party, 3 1/2 minutes for the National Solidarity Party, 5 1/2 minutes for the Workers' Party and 13 minutes for the People's Action Party.

Both broadcasts will subsequently be made available on Mediacorp's Toggle platform.