3 Candidates Receive Certificate Of Eligibility For Presidential Election On 18 Aug
The Elections Department of Singapore (ELD) has announced the outcome of applications for the Certificate of Eligibility for the upcoming Presidential Election.
Of the six applications, three were successful. ELD revealed today (18 Aug) that they issued certificates to Mr Ng Kok Song, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Mr Tan Kin Lian.
Businessman Mr George Goh, who was one of the popular hopefuls, had his application rejected.
Ng Kok Song’s experience at GIC ‘comparable’ to chief executive
ELD announced the results of the applications on Friday (18 Aug) morning via a press release. They also provided reasons as to why the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) approved the three candidates’ applications.
For Mr Ng, the PEC acknowledged that he was the Group Chief Investment Office of GIC Private Limited (GIC) for more than three years.
The committee also expressed its satisfaction with the nature and performance of Mr Ng’s time at GIC.
Furthermore, they found that his experience and ability are comparable to a person who satisfies Article 19(3)(b) of the Constitution.
Article 19(3)(c) sets out one of the public sector service requirements — that the candidate must have “served for a period of 3 or more years as the chief executive of an entity specified in the Fifth Schedule”.
GIC is one of six “key statutory boards and government companies” in the Fifth Schedule.
Tharman meets public service requirements by virtue of ministerial stints
As for Mr Tharman, the PEC stated that the 66-year-old had applied under Article 19(3)(a) of the Constitution.
Source: Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Facebook
Article 19(3)(a) states that the candidates must’ve held the office of the following appointments for three or more years:
- Minister
- Chief Justice
- Speaker
- Attorney-General
- Chairman of the Public Service Commission
- Auditor-General
- Accountant-General or Permanent Secretary
The PEC shared that Mr Tharman had met the “public sector service requirement” as he had served as a minister for three or more years.
Tan Kin Lian meets private sector service requirements from time as NTUC Income CEO
Meanwhile, Mr Tan Kin Lian apparently satisfied the private sector service requirement in Article 19(4)(b) of the Constitution.
Source: Tan Kin Lian on Facebook
The PEC noted that Mr Tan was the CEO of NTUC Income Insurance Co-operative Limited (NTUC Income) for over three years.
The committee also expressed its satisfaction with the size and complexity of NTUC Income.
They additionally found that Mr Tan’s experience and ability are comparable to that of a person serving as CEO of a “typical company” with at least S$500 million in shareholders’ equity.
Moreover, the PEC found all three applicants to be persons of integrity, good character, and reputation.
George Goh among 3 applicants who did not receive Certificate of Eligibility
Mr George Goh — one of the popular presidential hopefuls — was among the other three applicants who did not receive a Certificate of Eligibility.
The ELD did not reveal the reasons for the rejection. However, they stated that “unsuccessful applicants are not precluded from publishing the Committee’s reasons provided to them”.
The ELD also did not specify the names of the unsuccessful applicants.
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Featured image by MS News, adapted from Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Facebook and Tan Kin Lian on Facebook.
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