Tharman Shanmugaratnam, New President of Singapore
Senior Economist Tharman Shanmugaratnam was as the new president of Singapore on Saturday, 2 September 2023. He said he was surprise by the difference in his victory in the 2023 presidential election. “I don’t expect a high level of support, which also means there are quite a lot of people who normally would not agree to this,” Singapore’s President Thharman told report in his first interview since the official results were announce past midnight on Saturday.
He said that it was unusual for voters to vote in favor of the ruling party.
Tharman received cheers from supporters in Taman Jurong, Marsiling, Tampines and Toa Payoh.
Describing the results as “amazingly unifield”, he said Singaporeans were “very wise in how they vote”. a member of Cabinet will diminish one’s ability to be non-partisan,” he was quoted as saying by CNA. “It all depends on the individual, the character of the person, the reputation of the person and the ability to go beyond all the boundaries you can think of in Singapore. That has always been my orientation. “So I think this is a very interesting lesson that Singaporeans don’t think that my political service so far is a loss.
This Indian descendant is a statesman and economist who previously served as Singapore’s Senior Minister between 2019 and 2023, and Coordinating Minister for Social Policy between 2015 and 2023, as well as Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore between 2011 and 2023 An economist by profession, Tharman spent his entire working life in Singapore’s public service, primarily in roles related to economic and social policy.
Symbolic Position The President of the Republic of Singapore is the head of state
normally assigned to represent the country in official diplomatic functions and has certain executive powers over the Government of Singapore, including control over the national reserve and the ability to appoint and appoint civil servants. After Singapore’s independence from the British Empire in 1959, the ceremonial office of the Yang di-Pertuan Negara was create. This position was later replace by the President of Singapore after Singapore’s independence in 1965.
The initial role of the president was largely ceremonial and symbolic, by carrying the rest of the power, but this role was then given to several executive powers which included reserve power to veto certain matters, especially those relate to the country’s foreign exchange reserves as a check and balance process, as well as revoking
appointing civil service positions among other authorities listed in the Constitution.
Before 1991, the president was appoint by Parliament. Amendments to the constitusion were made that year to allow the president to be direct by popular vote. Which was for the first time in 1993. Singapore follows the non-executive Westminster model of parliamentary system where the president is not the head of government. but the head of state. This power is by the Cabinet by the prime minister. Another amendment made in 2016. Allowing for presidential elections to be reserve for ethnic communities in Singapore if no one from that community has been president during the previous five presidential terms.
The president has broad formal duties and obligations to act above party politics. Under the Constitution, the president must be a Singaporean citizen, non-partisan and elected by popular vote. The previous president, Halimah Yacob, took office on September 14, 2017 after running unopposed in general elections and becoming the first female president in the country’s history. This election was attend by three candidates. Apart from Tharman, the two other candidates are Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian. Tharman received 70.4 percent of the vote, while Song received 15.72 and Lian 13.88 percent.
Read More : Drilling of 427 Development Wells Completed, SKK Migas Highlights Rig Availability
