The Elections Department officially declared in favour of
the 66-year-old in the early hours of Saturday. Earlier, the other two
candidates, Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian, effectively conceded
the race.
Ng won 15.72% of valid votes while Tan received 13.88% of
the votes. More than 2.48 million votes were cast in Singapore, with 50,152
rejected votes.
Tharman, a 22-year veteran of the long-ruling People’s
Action Party (PAP), had faced questions during the campaign over whether the
party’s recent political scandals – as well as overall public disquiet over
rising inflation – would hurt his chances.
Tharman said he was humbled by the result. “It’s a vote of
optimism for a future in which we can progress together and support each other
as Singaporeans,” he said.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the leader of the PAP
government, said in a statement that he had called Tharman and assured him of
the administration’s full cooperation.
“I have every confidence that he will carry out his duties
as President with distinction,” Lee said. “Tharman has also declared his
intention to work closely with the government,” he added.
The three candidates met stringent criteria to run for the
race to succeed the incumbent, President Halimah Yacob, for a six-year
term.
The
republic’s presidency is a largely ceremonial role with custodial powers over
the use of the country’s vast fiscal reserves and appointment of key public
officials such as the chief justice, military chief, police commissioner and
the attorney general.
Ng, 75, is a former chief investment officer at the state
investor GIC, and was seen as the next most palatable to the republic’s
middle-ground voters.
Tan, also 75, is a former chief executive of the
state-linked insurer NTUC. He gained endorsements from a handful of opposition
politicians, and was described as the preferred choice of voters hoping to use
the contest to show their disaffection with the PAP.
