Singapore Presidential Elections 2023: No candidate endorsement from Workers' Party
Opposition party reiterates stance that elected presidency is skewed towards PAP-approved candidates and should be abolished
SINGAPORE — The Workers' Party (WP), the leading opposition party in Singapore, said on Wednesday (30 August) that it does not endorse any of the three candidates amid the ongoing Presidential Election.
The party added in a Facebook post that it also does not call upon its members or volunteers to assist the three candidates - Ng Kok Song, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Tan Kin Lian - in any official capacity.
WP also reiterated its views on the office of the elected president, and the role of the President of Singapore, which are set out in its party manifesto as well as in a 2016 submission to a Constitutional Commission on the Elected Presidency.
"The Workers’ Party believes that the current qualifying criteria for presidential candidates is skewed towards PAP-approved candidates, and the elected presidency - in its current form - undermines parliamentary democracy," it wrote in the Facebook post.
"It also serves as an unnecessary source of gridlock - one that could potentially cripple a non-PAP government within its first term - and is an alternative power centre that could lead to political impasses.
"The Workers’ Party has consistently voiced its objection to and called for the abolishment of the elected presidency, and to revert to a ceremonial presidency, which has been the party’s position for over three decades."
WP's message comes after several prominent opposition figures - such as Progress Singapore Party chairman Tan Cheng Bock, Peoples' Voice leader Lim Tean and People's Power Party chief Goh Meng Seng - have voiced their support for Tan Kin Lian in recent days.
Their actions were criticised by Ng Kok Song, who questioned Tan Kin Lian's claim of being an independent candidate and said there is a danger that, if elected, Tan would be manipulated by the opposition figures backing him.
Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
