Sydney | Very few seriously expect the party that has ruled Singapore for the past six decades to be dislodged in the upcoming "pandemic election", but Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's People's Action Party could still be in for a few surprises.

Mr Lee on Monday night announced the next general election would be held on July 10, just past the halfway mark of what is forecast to be a very tough year. The government expects Singapore's GDP to shrink by between 4 per cent and 7 per cent in 2020.