Former Indian-Origin Minister in Singapore Wins Election
According to official results, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a former deputy prime minister of Singapore, won the city-state’s first competitive election for the mostly ceremonial role in more than a decade on Friday.
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After receiving 70.4 percent of the vote cast, the Elections Department proclaimed the 66-year-old economist the victor over two opposition candidates.
Election returning officer Tan Meng Dui declared Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the legitimately chosen candidate for president of Singapore.
In 2017, incumbent Halimah Yacob, who was unchallenged for a six-year term, was replaced by Mr. Shanmugaratnam.
Vote of confidence
It’s a vote of confidence in Singapore, in my opinion. In a speech before the results were made public, Mr. Shanmugaratnam stated, “It’s a vote of optimism for a future in which we can advance together.
The office, which technically manages the city’s amassed financial reserves and has the authority to reject certain actions and authorise anti-graft investigations, has strict qualifications.
People’s Action Party
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According to observers, Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s victory is good news for the People’s Action Party (PAP), which is in power and is largely believed to have supported his candidature.
Prior to the presidential election, the party that has consistently controlled Singapore since 1959 had been adversely affected by a rare series of political scandals.
Before he quit to compete for the non-partisan office of president, Mr. Shanmugaratnam, a former finance minister and longtime PAP supporter, was a pillar of the party.
Because of his prior connections with the administration, his independence had been questioned during the campaign.
