A three-way electoral contest for Singapore’s largely ceremonial presidency will come to a head when voters go to the polls on September 1. The race to clinch the non-partisan office has been notable for the emphasis that presidential contenders have placed on asserting their “independence” from the city-state’s long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
The elected president exercises limited custodial powers as the head of state and is expected to remain above the political fray. Yet analysts have observed rising anti-establishment sentiment in the campaign, with rival candidates accusing one another of polarizing voters by attempting to politicize what is supposed to be a staid exercise in national unity.
Former deputy prime minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, is widely regarded as the frontrunner and choice candidate of the PAP, which does not extend official endorsements as a matter of practice. Others in the race include Ng Kok Song, 75, the former chief investment officer at sovereign wealth fund GIC, and Tan Kin Lian, 75, a former chief executive of insurer NTUC Income.
“This election has largely been driven by strong candidates with rather disparate views on the role of the presidency, [with] some unfortunately [displaying] less understanding of the office of the presidency,” said Felix Tan, a political analyst at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) about policy changes advocated on the hustings which go beyond the president’s ambit.
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Nile Bowie is a journalist and correspondent with the Asia Times covering current affairs in Singapore and Malaysia. He can be reached at nilebowie@gmail.com.
