Singapore: Elected presidency debate continues

By Kirsten Han

SINGAPORE (AA) - The need for minority representation and adequate safeguards in the decision-making process have been raised in the Singapore parliament, with a debate over changes to the Elected Presidency system continuing into its second day Tuesday.

“As the president remains a symbol of the nation’s unity, it is important that the Office of the Presidency upholds multi-racialism, a core value of Singapore that underpins the social cohesion and harmony we have enjoyed thus far,” said current President Tony Tan

Tan's comments were read out on his behalf by Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob at the start of the debate.

Proposed changes to the Elected Presidency would see an election reserved for a particular racial minority group if the previous five terms have not seen a President elected from that minority.

If these changes -- which require amendments to be made to the Constitution of Singapore -- are passed, they could come into force as soon as the next presidential election, due by the end of 2017.

Other changes include tightening the eligibility criteria for candidates, and to give more weight to recommendations made by the Council of Presidential Advisers, a group made up of appointed members to advise the President on a range of matters.

“The Elected Presidency plays an important custodial role in safeguarding our key assets, in a way a purely parliamentary process cannot,” Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said in parliament on Monday.

"It also deters political parties from making wild promises at Parliamentary elections. They know that even if they come to power, they cannot splurge our past reserves on populist measures.”

The proposed changes, which are likely to pass in a Parliament dominated by the ruling People’s Action Party, have been subjected to plenty of public discussion.

Some have speculated that the move was designed to block Tan Cheng Bock, who lost the 2011 presidential election by 0.35 per cent of the vote, from running in the next election and potentially beating the ruling party’s preferred candidate.

While the prime minister of Singapore is the head of government, the president is considered the head of state.

According to the constitution, the president holds certain executive functions, such as the ability to veto attempts of the government to draw down on past reserves that it did not accumulate.

The president can also approve changes to key positions within the civil service, such as the chief justice, attorney general, or commissioner of police.