Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a former Indian-origin minister in Singapore, is one of three individuals who have met the qualifications to participate in the upcoming presidential election of the city-state, according to a report by news agency PTI on Friday, August 18. This development follows a few weeks after the 66-year-old officially initiated his campaign for the presidential position.
Tharman (66) and two former executives of government-linked companies of Chinese origin have met the criteria to be candidates in the forthcoming presidential elections. The Elections Department (ELD) conveyed that the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) received a total of six applications for the certificate of eligibility.
The two candidates of Chinese origin who have also been deemed eligible for the presidential election are Chief Investment Officer Ng Kok Song and former NTUC Income Chief Executive Tan Kin Lian, as reported by PTI.
According to the information provided by the department, Tharman submitted his application under the public sector service track, while Ng and Tan applied under the public sector deliberative track and private sector deliberative track, respectively.
As stipulated by the requirements outlined in Singapore’s Constitution, candidates from the public sector must have held positions such as minister, chief justice, attorney-general, or other high-ranking roles for a minimum of three years.
Consequently, since Tharman had served as a minister for at least three years, he qualified for the public sector service track. On July 26, the 66-year-old launched his bid for the presidency, leading to his resignation from public and political roles the following month.
The six-member PEC, led by Chairman of the Public Service Commission Lee Tzu Yang and including two supreme court judges, were satisfied with the integrity, good character, and reputation of Ng, Tan, and Tharman, as stated by ELD.
During a press conference while announcing the commencement of his campaign last month, Tharman expressed his commitment to transforming Singapore’s culture into a “shining spot” globally.
“I entered this race because I strongly believe in the necessity of evolving Singapore’s culture, some of our norms, and our collaborative approach to ensure that we remain a beacon in the world,” said the 66-year-old.
Tharman, an economist and civil servant, primarily served at the Monetary Authority of Singapore before entering politics in 2001. Over the years, he has held roles such as Minister for Education and Finance, as well as Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019.
Singapore had earlier announced its intention to hold the presidential election on September 1 if more than one candidate qualified for the race. The current President Halimah Yacob’s term is set to conclude on September 13.
Singapore is preparing for its first presidential election since 2011, as President Halimah, the country’s eighth and first female president, declared on May 29 that she would not seek a second term.
Post Your Comments