šøš¬ Halimah's out, who is the next president?
š¹š 42,000 reasons for Pita Limjaroenrat to worry
Hello friends!
An unusually bulky Singapore political update from me today as well as a quick look at the busy week in Thailandās endless election.Ā
Itās a lot, so letās crack straight in!
See you next week,
Erin Cook
šøš¬ The race begins for Singaporeās next presidentĀ
Thanks but no thanks, incumbent President Halimah Yacob said of seeking re-election when her six-year term expires this September. āIt has been a great honour and privilege to serve as the eighth president of Singapore for the past six years. The experience has been most inspiring and, at the same time, humbling,ā she said in a statement announcing her decision last month. She was the first woman president ever and the first president of Malay background since 1970.Ā
She won her term uncontested but this time around itās already busier. Nominations opened at the start of the week and we have two serious contenders at this stage.Ā
The role is typically referred to as ālargely ceremonialā and there has been a bit of excitement about the perceived āwastingā of talents and political skills as president. A very intriguing op-ed here from Eugene K B Tan, associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University, has given me some things to think about even if Iām not entirely convinced:
A president with an electoral mandate from voters provides him or her with the authority and legitimacy to stand up to the elected government of the day in the execution of the constitutional duties.
In exercising these discretionary powers, the president is constitutionally mandated to consult the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA). Should a presidential veto be exercised that is contrary to the CPAās recommendation, Parliament can overrule the president through a motion supported by at least two-thirds majority of all Members of Parliament (excluding Nominated Members of Parliament).
It must be borne in mind that the elected presidency is not an alternate locus of political power in our system of constitutional government. In matters outside the purview of his custodial powers, the president acts on the advice of the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, which is collectively responsible to Parliament.
Who is Tharman Shanmugaratnam?
Peopleās Action Party heavyweight and former deputy prime minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam made an enormous splash last week when he announced his resignation from his various government roles and the party to run for president.Ā
āI believe that I can now best serve Singapore not in politics, but in a different role that has to be above politics. I will also work to the best of my abilities to project Singaporeās interests and voice of reason in an increasingly turbulent world,ā Tharman said in his resignation letter to PM Lee Hsien Loong, as reported by Bloomberg.Ā
Heāll be missed, LHL wrote on Facebook last week: āAs a member of my team, he has worked hard to build a more inclusive society, and to improve wages and create better jobs for Singaporeans. Tharman made significant contributions to strengthen our social mobility escalator, as well as what he called our social safety ātrampoline.āā
Tharmanās candidacy brings up some interesting conversations in Singapore. If this role is essentially apolitical, can a former high-profile PAP cadre really be considered independent? And, as is often the case in Singaporean politics, thereās a racial element at play here. Tharman, who is of Tamil-descent, has hit a ceiling in the PAP despite his popularity and widespread belief heās done a reasonably good job in his various postings. No prime minister since independence has been of any other ethnicity beyond Chinese (and two-thirds are Lees, at that) is president the best bet for a competent lawmaker of a different background?
Donāt worry about the whole government thing, he stressed to voters over the weekend. āIām not on the same team as the government once I become president, be very clear about that,ā he said, as reported by Channel News Asia. He would not be drawn into discussing his campaign plans further just yet.
Who is George Goh?
Opening up the race as an independent is a major argument Goh is making for his candidacy: ā(If) you look at the last five Presidential Elections, three (were) walkovers... I think the people deserve it to vote for their president... so, I am coming forward. When I started, I didnāt have anything, but this land has given me a lot. It is time for me to serve the nation... Today, I want to give my people a choice,ā Goh told supporters on Tuesday, as per Straits Times.Ā
Heās not exactly an unknown entity to Singapore, with decades of business experience after having a hand in founding retail giant Ossia International, but his life story is an interesting one. CNA has one of their great ā5 factsā lists about him and his rags-to-riches story. Interestingly, he was born across the way in Malaysiaās Negeri Sembilan but moved to Singapore in his teens to work in a shoe factory. He went on to do very well in business and Singaporeās public life.Ā
Now heās got his sight set on something even more ambitious. But why? āAll four of Singaporeās past elected presidents were political appointment holders or from the public sector. It is time to have a truly independent person with a pair of fresh eyes to play the role the elected president was created for,ā his team said in a statement, as per CNA.
Goh will use his āconsiderable managerial and leadership expertise, acquired both here and abroad, to make judgments about a personās suitability for an important post,ā the statement added.
š¹š Pita vs. the Electoral Commission
Itās not over yet, but Iām happy to put my vote for lede of the election cycle behind this long read from Nikkei Asia:
As Pita Limjaroenrat took the stage in a brightly colored shirt at Bangkok's Pride parade on Sunday, June 4, supporters were confused about how to address the 42-year-old politician. Some called out, "Mr. Prime Minister!" while their friends cautioned, "I don't think you can call him that yet."
Pita is mightily popular after last monthās impressive showing at the polls but it is not, by any means, a certainty that he will take on the top job. This piece breaks it all down, including how the Senate is looking to sway, and if you read only one thing about the last few weeks make it the Nikkei piece.
A lot hinges on an investigation launched by the Electoral Commission looking into Pitaās initial eligibility to run. Detractors say the 42,000 shares in iTV, a defunct but not entirely dissolved media company, mean he should never have been able to nominate. The shares became known after he filed an assets report with the National Anti-Corruption Commission in 2019 when he first became an MP, Thai Enquirer reports.Ā
Thai Enquirer adds that the EC is expected to officially certify results shortly and Pita will still be able to take his seat and continue negotiations for PM. But, the outlet notes, the EC investigation will continue, thus flagging possible issues in the coming months.Ā
Still, the EC is taking it very seriously. āThere is sufficient information to suspect that the candidate is unfit or prohibited from seeking public office, according to electoral regulations, to further investigate Pita,ā election commission chairman Ittiporn Boonprakong told Reuters earlier this week.
Move Forward Secretary-General Chaitawat Tulathon stands by the partyās man. āThe Election Commission may take action against Pita in the future. The party is confident that the allegations do not have sufficient evidence,ā he said at a press conference this week as per Al Jazeera.Ā
That drama is one thing, but there are other cases, according to the above Thai Enquirer piece: āHe also faces other allegations, including alcohol advertising and a lese-majeste complaint for his comments to BBC. These are criminal charges that could result in jail time and disqualification from office as well.ā
All of this is excellent news if youāre part of the political elite who absolutely does not want to concede victory to the progressive upstarts. Letās see where this goes.