Indian-origin former minister in Singapore wins presidential election

The winning candidate has been a popular politician, having scored several landslide victories in parliamentary elections.

Published on: Sep 1, 2023, 22:37:39 IST

Reuters

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A former member of Singapore's ruling party on Saturday won the race to become the city-state's president, in a election seen as a barometer of public sentiment on the government's performance amid economic challenges and a streak of high-profile scandals.

Former deputy prime minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, won 70.4% of votes, the elections department said, to become Singapore's head of state. The country is a parliamentary democracy and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the head of government.

Tharman has been a popular politician, having scored several landslide victories in parliamentary elections, including the biggest margin of votes in the general election in 2020 as a PAP member.

He resigned from the party earlier this year and emphasised his independence during his campaign for the presidency.

Get the latest World News, breaking headlines and global updates from the US, UK, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia and other countries. Follow major international events on Hindustan Times.