Elected Presidency: Govt reiterates need for President to have mandate

SINGAPORE — The Government will publish a White Paper setting out its detailed response to the Constitutional Commission’s report on the Elected Presidency next Thursday (Sept 15).

This will be followed by a debate in Parliament after the Constitutional Amendment Bill has been tabled and read for the second time, during which President Tony Tan will be present to give his views on the specifics. 

Thanking the nine-member commission for their work, the Government also responded to some of the commission’s proposals, such as the suggestion to revert to a President elected by Parliament, and recommendations related to the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA).

In a letter to the commission on Wednesday (Sept 7), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the Government has accepted in principle the main recommendations on the three aspects spelt out in the commission’s terms of reference: The qualifying process for presidential candidates; ensuring minorities have the chance to be periodically elected to become President; and reviewing the framework govering the exercise of the President’s custodial powers.

On the commission’s views on matters beyond the terms of reference, Mr Lee said the Government will study these views “seriously”. 

“In particular, the commission has suggested the Government consider reverting to a President elected by Parliament. While I appreciate the commission’s reasons for this suggestion, as the Government has pointed out even when the scheme was first conceived, it would be difficult for a President to exercise custodial powers over the reserves and public service appointments, and veto proposals by the Government, without an electoral mandate,” said Mr Lee. 

In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is Acting Prime Minister while Mr Lee is away for the Asean Summit in Laos, said that the Government also agrees in principle to the commission’s recommendations to streamline and simplify the CPA processes, and adopt a more consistent approach. 

“But the details, (such as) whether to disclose individual votes, and whether different sized majorities in the CPA should carry different weights, will need to be studied carefully. We must ensure that whatever changes we make do not politicise the CPA,” said Mr Teo. 

In a Facebook post, Dr Tan called the review a “landmark”. “I am confident that the upcoming constitutional amendments will be a milestone for Singapore in ensuring that the EP scheme stays relevant with time and our local context,” he said. 

Separately, Law Minister K Shanmugam said in a statement that the Government is asking the Attorney-General for advice on certain aspects of the commission’s proposals to ensure representation of all the major races in the office of the President.

“The Government will announce its position once the AG has given his advice and the Government has considered it,” said Mr Shanmugam.

TIMELINE OF SINGAPORE'S PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM