Tharman Shanmugaratnam, an Indian-origin former Singaporean deputy prime minister, was elected president Friday (September 1), the official results showed. This was the city-state's first contested vote for the largely ceremonial position in more than a decade. He replaces incumbent Halimah Yacob who ran unopposed for her six-year term in 2017.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam will take office on 14 September 2023.
The Elections Department declared Shanmugaratnam of the People's Action Party (PAP) as the winner over two rival candidates after securing 70.4 per cent of votes cast. The other two candidates, Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian, effectively conceded the race.
The 66-year-old economist won 70.4 per cent of the vote in a landslide victory in the republic's three-way presidential contest. The result came in the backdrop of recent political scandals involving his ex-colleagues, but they didn't hurt his political aspirations.
Election returning officer Tan Meng Dui said: "I declare Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the candidate duly elected as the president of Singapore."
As quoted by media reports, he said that the results were humbling. "It's a vote of optimism for a future in which we can progress together and support each other as Singaporeans," he said.
In a speech before the results were announced, Shanmugaratnam said: "I believe that it's a vote of confidence in Singapore. It's a vote of optimism for a future in which we can progress together."
After the Election Department released the final sample count, Tharman spoke to the media stating that he was "truly humbled" by the strong support Singaporeans had shown for him. He said a vote for him was a "vote for Singapore".
He added that "it's a vote of optimism for a future in which we can progress together and support each other as Singaporeans" and added that "that has been my platform, and I believe it has received strong endorsement by Singaporeans. So it's not just about me … this is about Singapore and confidence in Singapore".
Tharman will be Singapore's third Indian-origin president after Sellapan Ramanathan and Chengara Veetil Devan Nair.
Sellapan Ramanathan, popularly known as S R Nathan, a politician and civil servant of Tamil descent, served as the president after defeating Benjamin Sheares in 2009 and was Singapore's longest-serving president.
Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, better known as Devan Nair, served as the third president of Singapore from 1981 until his resignation in 1985. Nair was the son of a rubber plantation clerk, who was originally from Thalassery, Kerala
Source: WION
