PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS (Qualification and criteria of candidate)

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

**

(Qualification and criteria of candidate): **

2.

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, in view of the constant lack of qualified Singaporeans willing to stand as candidates for the Presidential Election, (a) whether the qualifications for election can be lowered to catch a wider pool of potential candidates; and (b) whether the Presidential Elections Committee's emphasis is on objective or subjective criteria in its assessment.

Column: 1477

Mr Lee Hsien Loong: The presidency is a post of the highest honour and responsibility. The President is a symbol of the nation. However, the President's role is more than ceremonial as he is constitutionally vested with custodial powers to protect the country's financial reserves and has veto powers over key appointments. Hence presidential candidates must possess high integrity and character, and meet exacting standards of competence and experience. The President is elected in a direct nationwide election, without going through the leadership selection processes of a political party. Stringent qualifying criteria are therefore spelt out in the Constitution, to ensure that voters are presented with a choice of well qualified and suitable candidates.

All the qualifying criteria relate to the necessary experience and competencies to be a President. It would be reckless to lower the criteria to allow more candidates to contest, who would be unfit to be President if they were elected. This demeans the dignity of the high office, trivialises the election process itself, and detracts from the serious matter which Singaporeans should be focused upon.

As for the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC), this has been set up under the Constitution to assess aspiring candidates for the Presidential election against the qualifying criteria. The PEC is by composition independent of the Government of the day. It also does not consult or take instructions from the Government. The Committee follows the process set out in the Presidential Elections Act, to assess applicants for the Certificate of Eligibility objectively and dispassionately.

Some of the qualifying criteria inevitably involve judgment, such as the requirement to be a person of integrity, good character and reputation. The PEC arrives at its assessment of all aspiring candidates independently, based on the information submitted by the applicant, as well as confidential reports from persons and organisations who know the applicant. This is how the system is designed to work.

Column: 1477