By Kenny Chee

THE People's Action Party (PAP) has already identified some promising candidates - including a few potential office holders - for the next general election in 2011 or 2012, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

The party is still trying to find more people to complete its line-up of new leaders that could, in time, take over from the current PAP leaders.

But Mr Lee said that he was confident that by the next election - which is due by February 2012 - 'we will have a full slate which can form a clean, strong and able Government to take Singapore forward for the next 20-plus years'.

Speaking at a PAP convention, Mr Lee, who is the secretary- general of the party, said that the PAP has stayed strong over the last 50 years because of its constant renewal through the aggressive recruitment of candidates for every general election.

The candidates identified for this round, who are mainly in their 30s and 40s, did not experience the turbulence of Singapore's early years, he said.

But they are 'just as committed as earlier generations of Members of Parliament to step forward to uphold and improve what we have achieved'.

He added that they believe in the Singapore system and have seen how it has improved the lives of Singaporeans.

Yesterday, he also called for the ruling party to be prepared for more and tougher electoral battles because of changes in the election rules.

In May, he had announced proposals to increase the number of opposition Members of Parliament, have smaller group representation constituencies and more single-member constituencies.

'Never assume that (your constituency) is going to have a walkover,' said Mr Lee.

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