Singapore: Countdown for Presidential Election

Amid global uncertainty and domestic anxiety over the cost of living, the next president of Singapore must be a unifying figure in whom Singaporeans have confidence. The job of the head of state has not changed much over the years, but people have come to expect more.

Observers say the election, which is called on a regular six-year cycle, will likely be held close to the deadline in September 2023, after the National Day celebrations – and after the National Day Rally speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, usually in the second half of August.

This would be a time when issues and challenges confronting Singapore, as well as a sense of national identity and unity, would be at the forefront of people’s minds.

Dr Gillian Koh, deputy director of research at the Institute of Policy Studies, said that the conditions today are similar to those in 2011. 

Then, people felt that the world had seen an end to the “long boom” post-World War II and markets were anticipating another crisis in the United States and Europe which could affect Asia.

She noted that at the time, the candidate who eventually became president – former deputy prime minister Tony Tan Keng Yam – said he envisaged that the Government would make contingency plans, and gave the assurance that he would protect the national reserves with great care.

Similarly today, Singapore and the world face a tangled web of challenges – from US-China rivalry and the Russia-Ukraine war to disruptions to the global trade order – that PM Lee laid out in his speech during the debate on the President’s Address in April.

Hence, the upcoming election will involve choosing a candidate with experience, and who has a calming and steady temperament in crises, said Dr Koh.

National University of Singapore (NUS) sociologist Tan Ern Ser said it is not the president’s responsibility to directly address problems such as the economy and inflation, or geopolitical challenges, as these are the responsibilities of the prime minister and his Cabinet.

Instead, he said, the president should rally Singaporeans to stay socially cohesive and resilient amid external or internal threats, while keeping an eye on how the reserves are being used.

He added that the president could also use the prestige and symbolic power of the presidency to champion worthy causes that would enhance the well-being and unity of Singaporeans.

Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, head of policy development, evaluation and data analytics at research consultancy Kantar Public, said that in a politically divided world, the next president should also ideally have good working knowledge of foreign policy and international relations.

By design, the president has no executive, policymaking role. This remains the prerogative of the elected government that commands the majority in Parliament. 

Does it mean, therefore, that the president’s role is simply rubber-stamping? 

President Halimah Yacob’s tenure has shown otherwise, said political analyst and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) associate lecturer Felix Tan.

He said there has been some evolution in the “soft power aspect” of the role, with the President showing that she can still be involved in engaging with Singaporeans and championing certain social causes.

For example, she has spoken up on violence against women and the need to ensure a broader and more open meritocracy for all Singaporeans.

Courtesy: The Straits Times