Feedback on Elected Presidency: Public hearings to begin next week

SINGAPORE — The Constitutional Commission on the Elected Presidency is expected to complete its report and make its recommendations by the third quarter of this year.

The secretariat of the commission said on Monday (April 11) that more than 100 written submissions had been received from various contributors and that some would be invited to “make oral representations clarifying or elaborating on their written submissions”. Public hearings will be held at the Supreme Court auditorium and have been tentatively scheduled for April 18, 22 and 26 and May 6 between 9.30am and 5pm.

On Feb 18, the commission had invited feedback from the public regarding possible changes to the Elected Presidency in the three areas being studied: The qualifying process for candidacy, provisions to safeguard minority representation in the presidency, and the framework governing the exercise of the President’s custodial powers, particularly the role and composition of the Council of Presidential Advisers.

Headed by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, the nine-member commission will look at whether current provisions in the three areas are adequate, and make recommendations.