~by: Arthur Loke~
I refer to the article ‘Let electoral college choose the President’, dated 3rd Sep 2011, published in The Straits Times , and jointly crafted by Mr Ho Kwon-Ping and Mr Janadas Devan (see HERE)
The writers commented in that article that under the present system, a person from the minority races is most unlikely to be elected. Therefore, they proposed changes to the system, where an electoral college would elect the President; which is the very opposite of the ‘one-man-one-vote’ system we have today for electing our President.
If the Government is still working on racial paradigms and stereotypes of the 1960′s to assess a person’s “reliability” for his or her appointment as a high official, particularly in the military, our minorities will continue to feel set apart and disadvantaged. Whatever the sop you offer them, including the Presidency through a electoral college selection, will not dispel the rankle of not being fully trusted.
We are 46 years into Independence, and it is time to look at the realpolitik of race in this country. The minority groups have accepted the Government’s reasons that realpolitik rather than racial prejudice is behind the reliability test with regard to certain appointments. But we cannot go on not fully trusting any minority group while foreigners are allowed into this country in large numbers to be permanent residents and citizens.
Realpolitik too has changed since the 1960′s, as it must, with Indonesia and Malaysia being quite friendly to us now. Our water problem is almost solved and our military is considered superior to those of our neighbours.
It is time to deliver ourselves from some of these race hang-ups now that we have had half a century to build a nation and to foster a national identity. While we should not take our eyes off the terrorists who may come from all ethnic groups, there is no reason to hold back any individual from a minority group in his natural ascent.
I believe that if the Government is bold enough to appoint a few minority persons to jobs previously considered too sensitive to be allotted to them our country will have more patriots amongst our fellow citizens who are from minority races, ensuring Singapore a even more secure future.
We can then put aside once and for all this race consciousness in key jobs distribution. There is no downside to this move since renegade generals can be arrested and tried in the military courts and bad Prime Ministers can be voted out.
The proposal for a electoral college for the President to be appointed as suggested by Mr Ho and Mr Devan is not a good idea. It is a retrogressive step as it robs the Singaporean his vote and to place this power he now has in the hands of another group of persons to exercise this invaluable right.
Singaporeans understand and enjoy exercising their democratic rights as the General Elections and the Presidential Elections have shown, and should never be underestimated for their political shrewdness or maturity. They should never give away something as valuable as their right to vote to an electoral college.
I agree, however, that at some point in time we will have to amend our Constitution, to allow Singaporeans of distinction to qualify as candidates.
Presently, our Constitution will not allow even a Nobel Prize winner nor a distinguished artist, musician or sportsperson to be our President. Why cannot people who have brought honour and glory to our country qualify?
Is it so critical that the President must have been a high official or someone who had run a company with a $100 million paid up capital or its equivalent to understand what his job is? Let’s not forget that handpicked Chief Executive Officers of multi-billion dollar public-listed companies have caused their companies to go bust.
Under Singapore’s current Constitution, a top-scientist like Abdul Kalam (former-President of India) will never become the Head of State. Why? Is it not possible for a President (who is let’s say a renowned novelist) to seek independent advice about his duties (concerning the reserves for instance) if he “see no ball”? Will no one help him if he should ask? Can he not get counsel from his Council of Presidential Advisors about what he is to do, if he is befuddled or feels pressured? If not, what are they there for?
If there is an amendment to the Constitution it should be with the purpose to give hope to young Singaporeans that one day they can be the President too. If only they would excel in their chosen field or in their personal journey- if they earn the admiration of their fellow Singaporeans. This will mean that the bar to be President will not be crossed by just a small group of people who come from similar backgrounds.
The General Elections and the Presidential Elections, which have been clean and fairly fought, have given many Singaporeans a taste of how leaders are chosen in a democracy. In the past we elected David Marshall, a Jew, as Chief Minister. Singaporeans can in the future look forward to a person from a minority race becoming a elected President as we have less racial issues than almost any other nation that I know with such an eclectic mix of races.
If the United States with its deep racial divide can elect a President Obama there is no reason we cannot do the same.
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The author is correct to point out that race should not prevent a qualified person to be president. However, not anyone is qualified. Nobel prize winners, artisits, musicians etc may be good in their fields but certainly unqualified. The reuiqrement that the candidate run a company with $ 100 million paid-up capital is too rigid.
To be qualified, there should be 2 main criteria:
1. Financial expertise to watch over our reserves. In this case, we should all be thankful for having Tony Tan as our president.
2. Enforce the ISD rigorously to protect the security of our nation. Previous presidents have been too laid back in the enforcement of ISD. I hope Tony Tan can have a firmer hand, and order the ISD to detain all troublemakers indefinitely without trial, including dissenters those who try to obstruct the workings of our government.
When filling up forms, I have started to fill in the column for Race “Singaporean.”
it is ironic how so many double standards are being set by the ruling party. They impose incredibly high criterai when it suits them to restict potential opposing forces n yet they r appointing men with little real corporate life experience to senior jobs in the government n in GLCs. For many years, they have been appointing ex-Army officials in top jobs such as Snr Vice President of Marketing etc in property GLCs n within ST Group. Why? because they are loyal to their masters n will do whatever their govt bosses say. This government doesnt walk the talk n is full of hypocrisy.
A minority race can still be the EP if the PEC disqualifies all other candidates. Nathan was a good example. But it will take quite some time for the PAP to clone another Nathan. The Chinese are the majority race and their votes count.
High time to have a Malay Singaporean as our president in 2017. But this Govt sets the bar so high that very few minority races could reach.
Nathan is different, he has close association with LKY, stretching back to WW2 days.
The Pledge is a farce, justice and equality to all, irrespective of race, sounds hollow.
Old guard, Mr. Rajaretnam, the inventor of the Pledge, must be turning restlessly in his grave, very disappointed.
God bless his soul.
@seeing beyond hypocrisy
I like what you’ve written!
Pappies will somehow bend the rules and get the preferred individual to be President. PE 2011 says it all! Ex Defence Minister who have yet to provide substantiated explanation regarding his sons’ preferential treatment during NS is already in the Office! This person has the integrity and honesty required to hold the highest Office of the country?! He is not even fit to be issued the COE!!
A short list of powerful people who never go to college.
——————————–
Robert Byrd, U.S. senator. Graduated from high school but could not afford to attend college.
James Francis Byrnes, U.S. representative, U.S. senator, Supreme Court justice, U.S. secretary of state, South Carolina governor. At the age of 14, he left St. Patrick’s Catholic school to apprentice in a law office. Never attended college or law school.
Ben Nighthorse Campbell, U.S. representative and senator. Dropped out of high school at the age of 17 to join the U.S. Air Force, where he earned his GED. Later attended and graduated from San Jose State College.
Julia Carson, U.S. congress representative, did not graduate from college. She was the first woman and first African American to represent Indianapolis.
Winston Churchill, British prime minister, historian, artist. Rebellious by nature, he generally did poorly in school. Flunked sixth grade. After he left Harrow, he applied to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, but it took him three times before he passed the entrance exam. He graduated 8th out of a class of 150 a year and a half later. He never attended college.
Millard Fillmore, U.S. president. Six months of formal schooling. Studied law while a legal clerk for a judge and law firm. Of the 43 people who served as president of the United States, 8 never went to college.
Benjamin Franklin, inventor, scientist, inventor, diplomat, author, printer, publisher, politician, patriot, signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Dropped out of Boston Latin. Home schooled with less than two years of formal education.
Barry Goldwater, U.S. senator and presidential candidate. He dropped out of the University of Arizona after one year to take over the family department store.
Horace Greeley, newspaper editor and publisher, U.S. congressman, presidential candidate, co-founder of the Republican Party. Dropped out of high school.
Patrick Henry, Virginia governor, revolutionary patriot. Home schooled. Later studied on his own and became a lawyer.
Andrew Johnson, U.S. president, vice-president. Never attended college. Of the 43 people who served as president of the United States, 8 never went to college.
John Major, British prime minister. High school dropout.
Walter Nash, prime minister of New Zealand. Dropped out of high school.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. first lady, book editor. Dropped out of Vassar before eventually graduating from George Washington University.
Zachary Taylor, U.S. president, general. Little formal schooling. Home schooled. Of the 43 people who served as president of the United States, 8 never went to college.
Timmy Teepell, chief of staff for Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal. A product of home schooling, he never attended college.
Harry Truman, U.S. president. Never went to college.
George Washington, U.S. president, general, plantation owner. Ended his education after a few years of elementary school. Of the 43 people who served as president of the United States, 8 never went to college
——————————————
I always believe that Singapore is never short of capable people, only that opportunities was not extended to them or rather blocked because of the criteria set based on education meritocracy, racial paradigms and maybe other hidden agendas. Such criteria must never be used as the only set of rules for selection of candidates, be it in the political world or the corporate.
Such stereotypical thinking restricts talents sources and only the lazy and people with no foresight uses it because it is thought to be the fastest and easiest way to select.
The recommendation by Ho and Janadas seems a desperate attempt to prevent a popular candidate from being elected.
In America the Elected President has the executive powers needed to run the country. In Singapore following a Westminister Model vest the Power to the PM and his party to run the country. This PE Showed that the PAPIES shot themselves in the foot. It was LKY phobia that a rogue party might step in and squander the reserves and so they schemed a water tight criteria (so they thought) to create this presidency. It is possible for in Westminisster Parliment Model to bring a Scientist, Nobel Laurette or an artist cos the role is ceremonial. In these Papies failed experiment of mixing the an American and British Model ordinary citizens expectations had become far larger then expected. Perhaps we should leave the President as the head of state As ceremonial and leave the other key of the reserves soley with Council Of Presidential Advisors chosen from various financial diaspora’s recommendation. Without these Papies exp we would have a Malay President nominated instead of TT.
Look at the last GE. Only one minority race stand for election in the SMC.This is reality
According to LKY, who still believe in “the best man gets the best job”, why did he not focus on competence and skills for the most responsible jobs? What is his “best”? He called GCT woody and he became PM. I do not see LHL less woody and more fluid? The President should be some one who has prestige and won the respect and love of the People of Singapore and he or she need not be a politician or businessman. Voting in a President must remain the right of the citizens of Singaporeans. And names calling of good man and women degrades LKY himself.
Coming liao… Coming liao… They are scheming to change the Constitution. Let’s see.
Candidates with good credentials from the minority races should step forward in the next PE. The result will speak for itself.
and without a doubt the xpired presidente is not a minority race…he is just a timid tamil tiger?
maybe we should hav been generous enough to norminate yacoob as the next presidente? just liked incik yusof oshman the 1st presidente of singapoor?
I would expect members of a tertiary institution to provide a more rigorous analysis of the campaign and results of the Presidential Election as a contribution to the Singaporeans. The analysis and observations contained in the Straits Times article is unbelievably over-simplistic. It is not the system of PE that is at fault or mis-understood, it is the scenario that leads to such perception of the office of PE. If the voices of Singaporeans have been properly and accurately fed back by the government and PAP feedback mechanisms and timely rectification and mitigation steps are put in place by the Government, the present scenario of the populace to look desperately for a last and peaceful resort that can speak up for them on the issues they raise, their grievances and unhappiness would not have arisen. The Presidential Election came just at a right time for them to make LOUDER noises so that it would not fade away with the environment wilderness but would at least cause a ripple among the relevant people. From what have been happening, they have been indeed on one hand amazingly successful but on the other hand they have not achieved enough to engage correct and rigorous analysis from the relevant establishments. This may be one of the many factors that cause such perception of the office of PE or Head of the Nation, Definitely not a confusion, not ignorance but a deliberate attempt at seeking for a peaceful channel to address all the issues that surfaces from the policies of the Government. If all political analysts would spend more thoughts, time and initiatives to delve deeper and seek out the roots causes for the unhappiness of the populace on the one hand and on the other, the failure of the feedback mechanisms and the nonchalant or inattentive attitude of the Government from listening to the ground. To aggravate the situation further came the comments that the voices of the People are perceived and degenerated as noises of the environment in addition to such degrading descriptive words as daft and lesser mortals being used on the populace. To top it all came the PA-opposition MP saga. It is high time for all the “thinkers” in all the “learned institutions and …” to live up to their profession and the expectations of the people and the Government of Singapore to help identify the real causes and the appropriate mitigation steps.
@iVOTEahMENG
Mr SR Nathan was a Intel Chief SID and later ISD before that what is the name of Japs Intel forget leh. A trusted civil servant Leh.For him Duty is everything. But Duty to the nation or Duty to LKY is the question. How can he be timid? But must have been trusted Mamak to LKY and good uncle to LHL.
By the way, the first president was Yusof Ishak not Yusof Othman. (Othman Wok is botak wearing a wig and settled with his 4th or 5th wife in Indonesia leh. All the trusted Malay MP who stood by Papies and finally rewarded with 4 or 5 wives, I am not sure.)
@iVOTEahMENG
Yacob also Indian leh. Check I/c… last time race Indian…. now the new law Indian Malay. How can?
not ony ‘race’ should not be a hindrance;other considerations as well.
WHY SHOULD ANY CANDIDATE FOR THE EP be either some ministers or PERM SECs etc or at least a CEO/CHAIRMAN of a $100 MIO minimum capital company?
it does not mean that a CEO or a large corporation is a better CEO than a CEO or owner-entrepreneur of a smaller company;many times, IT IS NOT the case.
MANY TOP CEOs bungled and some ministers too;they beankrupt companies or even overblew BDUGETS,don;t they?
I HOPE THE CONDITIONS FOR RUNNING THE EP can be amended to accomodate TRULY GOOD SINGAPOREANS AND NOT JUST SOME ;GREEDY N SELF-SERVING’ elites to qualify.
BIG OR RICH DOES NOT ALWAYS MEANS GOOD.
Race will not be a factor, if the candidate can get past the certification stage. Can a minority candidate get certified? Let’s ask the minority army general. Or the minority cabinet minister.
So what if Obama is president? The fact still remains that blacks are at a disadvantage when running for the presidency. The ratio of black to white US presidents is still far less than their actual ratios in the general population.
Since 25% of Singaporeans are non-Chinese, it is only fair that 1 in 4 presidents are non-Chinese. Unfortunately, with the rampant discrimination against minorities in the workplace, it is unlikely that enough minorities will be able to meet the requirements for the COE.
A government that boasts about its successful multiracial policies should definitely address this issue, instead of avoiding it and claiming that things can’t be helped.
Eugene6 September 2011
@iVOTEahMENG
Mr SR Nathan was a Intel Chief SID and later ISD before that what is the name of Japs Intel forget leh. A trusted civil servant Leh.For him Duty is everything. But Duty to the nation or Duty to LKY is the question. How can he be timid? But must have been trusted Mamak to LKY and good uncle to LHL.
By the way, the first president was Yusof Ishak not Yusof Othman. (Othman Wok is botak wearing a wig and settled with his 4th or 5th wife in Indonesia leh. All the trusted Malay MP who stood by Papies and finally rewarded with 4 or 5 wives, I am not sure.)
…………..
you all know me lark..orangutan is orangutan..incik ere incik there incik everywhere..tigerong also incik..
yacoob malay indian..eer is he related to mathatail?
hee ten q for the corrections…appreciated
next:
A single black president doesn’t prove minorities aren’t disadvantaged
it is unlikely that enough minorities will be able to meet the requirements for the COE.
…………..
no choice lark..cannot seek discount just because of injun or firewalkin deeds…
can alway asked all the top lawyers’ bhaii singh inc to norminate themselves lark..india india presidente is a singh
not gurmitsink the turbanless chap
ISD should be applied to both PAP and oppo members who sow fear ain Singapore.
Get real. No chance in any election….not in a million years.
PAP are always sowing fear,
Dark Economic fears on horizon
Don’t procreate, forced to open floodgate to foreigners to increase populations.
No upgrading for you if dun vote PAP
Aljunied voters, watch your step
ISD would keep very busy, could not find time even go to tiolet, napping so many people.
popcorn 7 September 2011
PAP are always sowing fear,
Bluff who?
PIIGS.
Debt-ridden US.
Japan flat.
Listen to you?
Lower our guards and be caught off-pants?
You must be kidding.
Be preapared and another 46 good years.
Don’t envy lah.
This is life.
Look around the world.
OPen your eyes.
If you have any.
Your idol UK.
Why riots and more riots?
More than 50% of its grads are unemployed!
If not for its North Sea oil it would hve gone PIIGS!
No Brainer 7 September 2011
Your idol UK.
Why riots and more riots?
More than 50% of its grads are unemployed!
If not for its North Sea oil it would hve gone PIIGS!
___________________________________________________
And who are the one causing riots in UK? The British or foreigners from Eastern Europe who get into UK easily becasue of Schengen Agreement? Economic downturn led to many people losing their jobs, including many foreigners working in construction. They refuse to return home, and are the ones causing trouble. Does this sound like some country we know who likes to open its door to foreigners so easily?
50% of UK grads unemployed? Which uni they graduate from? No Brainer Uni, perhaps?
Britain economy relies very little on north sea oil these days. The key driver is services – financial, legal, accountancy, consultancy, media, journalism etc.
Singapore also services driven, including your mother, wife, sister, daughter, niece all whoring their services.
@A single black president doesn’t prove minorities aren’t disadvantaged.
Wait, 4 out of 7 Presidents from the minority races isn’t enough? Pardon my math, but doesn’t that work out to be more than 25%?
Racial discrimination and bias amongst the ignorant members of the populace isn’t going to change overnight with a minority President or PM ever, in any part of the world.
And as much as I can’t stand the PAPies they’ve done more for minorities than most countries in the world in terms of ethnic-based policies and integrating the better educated and “talented” ones into government.
But hey, if the powers that be field a candidate of your racial choice, you’re more than welcome to vote for that person solely based on their race if it makes you feel better about all the “rampant” slights made towards you at work.
Since 25% of Singaporeans are non-Chinese, it is only fair that 1 in 4 presidents are non-Chinese.
And since 50% of Singaporeans are non-male, we are well overdue for a female President. After all, 100% of the past presidents have been men.
To serve the People you don’t need education but you need passion to provide the basis for the people. Don’t forget it is not single person decision but collective person decision to make something happening.
To serve the People you need to have the heart and passion to do what is right.
Face it , this is not a democracy country, it’s a dictatorship..
It is more important that we don’t elect another 35% President who cheats and lies about his sons’ privilege National Service treatment. When we were in Beijing recently, even our Chinese friends were making jokes about our 35%President and his 3 coward sons. Dammned disgraceful! That is the power of the internet……
hippo 8 September 2011
hippos are shot in Africa for opening their big mouths.
Proofs and evidences are required where the rule of law prevails.
Hiding behind monikers and perhaps blogging fiction from abroad are for the immatured and kids who want to escape prosecution.
Face the public in open court!
See what happens to the Panama-based TRE?
Faceless and non-transparent.
Where are all the donors’ monies now?
Remember what the opposition says about the GRC disadvantaging the minorities?
They are meant to keep the minorities ‘out’.
Why? Because they can stand on their own 2 feet.
It claims that cutting down on single wards will not allow for more minority candidates to stand on their own right.
How many dared at the last GE?
The opposition has had their voice heard.
Just take the EP ward as one huge single ward for a start.
Booboo aka Popcorn
And who are the one causing riots in UK? The British or foreigners from Eastern Europe who get into UK easily becasue of Schengen Agreement? Economic downturn led to many people losing their jobs, including many foreigners working in construction. They refuse to return home, and are the ones causing trouble. Does this sound like some country we know who likes to open its door to foreigners so easily?
#80% non-Whites. 3rd and 4th generations immigrants (from colonies).
50% of UK grads unemployed? Which uni they graduate from? No Brainer Uni, perhaps?
# Grads are grads. Then why produce so many? It’s still a British problem like Malaysia producing a lot of unemployable grads.
Britain economy relies very little on north sea oil these days. The key driver is services – financial, legal, accountancy, consultancy, media, journalism etc.
# sure or not? In billions not thousands!
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/table11_11.pdf
Singapore also services driven, including your mother, wife, sister, daughter, niece all whoring their services.
# Pl don’t lump us together with your family and relatives.
Be civilised and sober.
Dr TT is clearly a man who has the ability to do a good job of President. But the way he handled his son’s NS is grossly unbecoming of a long serving minister. I don’t know how LHL and the PAP can keep a straight face and back Dr TT like this after all they have said and done in the past years.
It makes the PAP look bad. Very very bad.
Everytime the PAP does something like this, it further erodes its moral authority to ask citizens to do their bit for Singapore, to serve NS, etc.
@splendide mendax
“A short list of powerful people who never go to college.
——————————–”
Remember late president Wee Kim Wee? He didn’t finish his secondary education.
No Brainer 8 September 2011
#80% non-Whites. 3rd and 4th generations immigrants (from colonies).
# Grads are grads. Then why produce so many? It’s still a British problem like Malaysia producing a lot of unemployable grads.
# sure or not? In billions not thousands!
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/table11_11.pdf
# Pl don’t lump us together with your family and relatives.
………………………………………….
U been to Britain, not to mention live there? How long u spent here? Were u screwing your mother on the London Eye, while you threw your wife/girlfriend to be raped by immigrants at Brixton, and let me devirginize your daughter at Hyde Park? Wanna have a look at total contribution to the economy from services vs primary industries (like the north sea oil)?
Dear Arthur Loke,
I am in basic agreement with you. The crux of the matter is that by changing the appointed presidency to an elected one back in 1993, the PAP leadership was seeking to buck-pass controversial if bad policy of the Government to also put the blame on the people via the EP whom they had elected democratically. Either way, the PAP was shielded. Else, the army could move in to quell any in-house insurrection.
But both Ho Kwon Ping and Janadas Devan do have their merits. The apolitical presidency should not be politicized by making it a choice election of the people. The compromised solution, therefore, is to return to the old system where the president was appointed by the prime minister to be a ceremonial figure head accountable only to collective responsibility of the Cabinet.
Both Ho and Devan also made an interesting observation. They said Tan Jee Say was the biggest political winner of PE2011. Indeed, by being ‘forceful’ in his campaign TJS has also astutely turned the quiet apolitical Office of the President into a robust political platform for his face-recognition and assured popularity in the run-up to GE2016.
But it was essentially TJS timely reminder that his $60 billion National Regeneration Plan or a consensus plan thereof would be sorely needed to counter the looming giant tsunami now threatening Singapore – with short-term Western speculative funds or hot monies flowing in to further destabilize Singapore socio-economic system and FDI funds moving to other ASEAN countries (notably Indonesia) and forever-competitive export-oriented China to hollow out our foreign low-skills and labor low-productivity manufacturing industries and eventually also our oil refining industry with the opening of Myanmar pipeline to Kunming petrochemical plants in China or of Kra Canal in southern Thailand by-passing the Singapore oil trade amid the threat of peak oil in the Middle East.
High GDP growth is no longer an option for Singapore’s transformation. To artificially reflate it with job credits scheme by drawing down past reserves is only to hold back historical development and will hasten our structural apocalypse the way the West and Japan now experience? That will be a sad end to the much-acclaimed Singapore Story.
National survival must piggyback on the march of economic progress, not revolve around political institutions. In other words, politics must serve economics – whether globally or intra-regionally.
Regards.
I agree with Arthur Loke that we should not heed Ho & Nevan’s views that there should be an electoral college in place of the current system for electing the President.
We now have, thanks to the PAP, direct elections for the Presidency now, so we should not be undemocratic and turn the clock back or half way back for a half-baked democracy that involves an electoral college.
If the concern is not having a minority race candidate standing, or not being able to win if one stands, that remains to be proven.
In any case, it us up to the individual regardless of race to step forward if he wants to stand.
If Singaporean votes can vote in Parliamentary elections for candidates not of their race, then surely they can just as easily vote for a minority race presidential candidate.
Instead of an electoral college where a select elite choses the next President, one can come up with elaborate new electoral rules e.g. have a rotational style system based on race: TT can be the last Chinese one for a while, i.e. till Singapore goes through a new sequence of: Malay, Eurasian/Other, Indian, and then only Chinese, and then the sequence repeats itself. So in the following Presidential elections, there can only be Malay candidates, and in the one after that, only Eurasian/Other candidates and for the one after that only Indian candidates, etc. But then we entrench race into the electoral rules. I doubt most Singaporeans would want this. I am not keen even though I write about this idea.
I would rather it not be in the electoral rules, but that a convention arise just as there had appeared to be some form of convention for the non-elected Presidency of some form of rotation based on the ethnic background of the President. This may mean entering discussions with opposition figures to see if they may agree to allow such a convention to develop.
Also, another way is to have a new office: Vice President, who must be of a different ethnic background to that of the President.
As for those who try to argue the EP should not be politicised, I think this is ridiculous to argue for that since by definition we are having elections and hence one cannot help that the EP is a political animal unlike the non-elected President.
The EP is not like the queen in UK or a governor general in Australia or even like any figurehead president or monarch. The EP has a voice (albeit a narrow one given his limited powers). Therefore he is political.
Unfortunately with the first past the post system we now have a minority (vote) President since TT had less than 50% Singaporeans voting for him.
What if next time there are 7 candidates like in the recent Irish polls? We don’t have the Irish preference vote system which could produce a majority President Michael Higggins (due to transferable vote counting).
Instead, 7 candidates under S’pore’s first past the post system could well mean a real small minority President. In such an event, we would have to live with an unpopular President.
We have to be prepared for that if Parliament does not introduce and pass a fairer voting system for future Presidential elections.
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