In a Facebook post on May 29, Singaporean President Halimah Yacob announced that she will not seek a second term in this year's presidential election of the "lion island".
“After careful consideration, I have decided not to seek re-election,” said Ms Halimah, who was elected in 2017 as Singapore’s first female president.
Although Singapore's presidency is largely ceremonial, the vote later this year could signal the electoral climate ahead of legislative elections scheduled for November 2025.
The exact date of Singapore's presidential election has not been announced, but Ms Halimah said it would take place "in a few months".
Under Singapore's rules, President Halimah's term will end on September 13, and elections, held every six years, must be held before then.
While the Prime Minister runs the government in Singapore, the President holds certain powers such as the power to veto spending bills or request advances to the government’s budget – something that has been done to help shore up the island nation’s finances during the pandemic. The President also has to sign off on civil service appointments.
Singapore requires presidential candidates to meet certain criteria before running for office, such as having held a senior position in the public sector or having been an executive director of a major company.
Accordingly, about 50 public service positions and leaders of more than 1,200 companies in the island nation are eligible to run for election, Singapore's Public Service Minister Chan Chun Sing said when speaking in parliament earlier this month.
Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, said in March that he would consider running for Singapore's presidency, although some lawyers and academics quoted by local newspaper the Straits Times earlier this year questioned whether he met the criteria.
In the 2017 election, Ms. Halimah won without any obstacles when her two potential opponents were disqualified for not meeting the set criteria .
Minh Duc (According to Bloomberg, Straits Times)
Source
Comment (0)