SINGAPORE – Candidates who wish to contest in the upcoming presidential election, which is open to all races, can apply to enter the race from Tuesday.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will issue the Writ of Election and applications will close five days after. Those who qualify will be notified before Nomination Day.
Those who wish to stand for the election must submit an application to the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) for a certificate of eligibility.
They must also submit a community declaration notice to the Community Committee, made up of three sub-committees, which will assess which racial group they belong to.
The Elections Department (ELD) said this is for the purpose of determining when the next reserved election will be held.
Application forms are available at the ELD office from Tuesday when it opens. However, the ELD has encouraged potential candidates to use the digital service on its website.
In the last presidential election in 2017, application for certificates of eligibility opened on June 1. The Writ of Election was issued on Aug 28, and Nomination Day was Sept 13.
A person is qualified to be a candidate for election as president if he or she satisfies the PEC that he or she has, at the date of the Writ of Election, met either the public sector or private sector service requirement, among others.
Applicants relying on their private sector background, for instance, must have led a company with at least $500 million in shareholders’ equity for the latest three years they helmed it.
Applicants should also be persons of integrity, good character and reputation.
The PEC is chaired by Mr Lee Tzu Yang, chairman of the Public Service Commission.
Its members are Mr Ong Chong Tee, chairman of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority; Professor Chan Heng Chee, member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights; Dr Chua Thian Poh, member of the Council of Presidential Advisers; Justice Kannan Ramesh, a judge of the Appellate Division; and Justice Quentin Loh, appointed by the Prime Minister for his expertise and experience acquired in the private sector that are relevant to the functions of the committee.
Heading the Community Committee is Mr Edward D’Silva, a member of the Public Service Commission.
There are Chinese, Malay, Indian and Other Minority communities sub-committees, each with its own chairman and four other members.
President Halimah Yacob has said that she will not stand for re-election when her term ends on Sept 13.
Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam was the first person to throw his hat into the ring.
Mr Tharman said on June 8 that he plans to resign from the People’s Action Party and step down from his posts as senior minister and coordinating minister for social policies on July 7.
One requirement for presidential candidates is that they are not a member of any political party on the date of their nomination for election.
