Has Cancer invaded his fucking brains?
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...-to-elected-presidency/3270522.html?cid=fbcna
SINGAPORE: The debate on proposed changes to the Elected Presidency system resumed on Tuesday (Nov 8), with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaking on the Bill tabled to amend the Constitution.
On Monday, Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob delivered a message on behalf of President Tony Tan Keng Yam, in which he urged Members of Parliament discussing the proposed changes to keep Singapore's future in mind.
In its White Paper released in September, the Government had broadly accepted the recommendations made by a nine-member Constitutional Commission in its review of the Elected Presidency system.
For the latest:
14:29 Why now?
PM Lee on reviewing the Elected Presidency system now: "I am doing it now, because it would be irresponsible for me to kick this can down the road and leave the problem to my successors."
Comments(0)
14:23 PM Lee on reserving the Presidential Election
The Prime Minister says the Government has taken the Attorney-General's advice and will start counting from the first President who exercised powers of the Elected President - i.e. Wee Kim Wee.
So it's:
Wee Kim Wee - Chinese
Ong Teng Cheong - Chinese
S R Nathan (2 terms) - Indian
Dr Tony Tan - Chinese
Next President - Malay
This would be the first Malay President for Singapore after more than 46 years.
Comments(0)
14:19 BREAKING: Next Presidential Election due in 2017 will be reserved for Malay candidates, says PM Lee
Comments(0)
14:18 PM Lee explains the hiatus-triggered model for reserved Presidential Elections
The hiatus-triggered model: If Singapore has not had a President from a particular community for five consecutive terms, then the next term will be reserved for a President from that community. This means that in the course of six Presidential terms, there should be at least one Chinese President, one Malay President, and one Indian or other minority President.
Comments(0)
14:11 President is "most important unifying symbol of the nation"
PM Lee on importance of having the Presidency be multi-racial: "Singaporeans look up to the President as the personification of all that we stand for in Singapore."
Comments(0)
14:06 "We are not a Chinese country"
Because of Singapore's population and cultural familiarity, people may misunderstand that it is a Chinese country, and forget that Singapore is in fact an independent sovereign country, PM Lee says.
"We are not a Chinese country. And we have to show this - domestically ... and externally, to other countries."
Comments(0)
14:00 "If men were angels, no government would be necessary"
PM Lee quotes James Madison, one of the founding fathers of the US: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. A dependence on the people is no doubt the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions."
This proves elections are important, PM Lee says.
Comments(0)
13:53 No to non-elected President with no "second key"
"I believe that over the past 25 years, even though the Elected President has never had to veto any spending proposal by the Government, by the very existence of his powers, he has influenced Singapore politics for the better. The prospect of a veto alone has lessened the temptation for political parties to promise the world to voters in general elections," says PM Lee.
Comments(0)
13:51 No to having a non-elected President, with powers vested in CPA
An unelected Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), "a council of non-political wise men, works well as an advisory panel to the Elected President who makes the final decision and has a democratic mandate", says PM Lee. "But once the CPA itself becomes the decision maker, if the CPA members are unelected, they will have the same problem saying no as an unelected President who has to say no."
Comments(0)
13:49 No to appointed President
PM Lee reiterates why it's not wise to take up the Constitutional Commission's recommendation to revert to a system of appointing a President. "To veto the Government is a major decision; you must have a democratic mandate to make that call."
He's made the same point in an interview with Mediacorp.
Comments(0)
13:47 Difficulties aside, EP still a "plus"
"For all its difficulties, I am convinced that the Elected President has been a plus for our system," says PM Lee.
Comments(0)
13:46 "Presidential election itself presents difficulties"
In a fiercely contested campaign, "emotions and sentiments build up, and issues that have nothing to do with the role of the President can become hot", such that candidates make claims, promises and declarations which go beyond the President’s powers and competence under the Constitution, says PM Lee.
He says this happened in the 2011 Presidential Election, where one candidate championed a S$60 billlion economic plan, supposedly to create jobs and enterprise; another candidate made proposals such as better recognition for national servicemen, and more help for the poor and unemployed.
"These are the Government’s responsibility, for the Prime Minister and Cabinet to decide, not for the President to promise in a campaign, or push for after being elected."
Comments(0)
13:42 Uniqueness of Singapore's Elected Presidency
"No other country has anything quite like Singapore’s Elected President," says PM Lee. "It is a unique system, very difficult to get right, because the balance is delicate. A symbolic Head of State, but elected through a national ballot.
"With a popular mandate, but not a mandate to govern. He can use his mandate to say no in certain specified areas But not to push for policies or to initiate action."
Comments(0)
13:32 PM Lee kicks off Day 2 of debate on Elected Presidency
"It is my Government’s duty to review the scheme, to make adjustments well ahead of time to enable it to continue to function well, because the Elected Presidency is a long-term stabiliser for our political system."
Comments(0)
09:24 RECAP: Parliament debates changes to Elected Presidency, Day 1
Prior to the start of the debate on Monday, Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob delivered a message to Parliament on behalf of President Tony Tan Keng Yam where he stressed that the Elected President must act in accordance with the roles prescribed in the Constitution and not hold back the Elected Government of the day from performing its executive role or serve as a second centre of power.
In a 1.5-hour speech during the debate, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean also explained the Bill to amend the Constitution, saying that they would provide stability to Singapore's system and “help to avoid gridlock in situations where the President and the Government do not agree”.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...-to-elected-presidency/3270522.html?cid=fbcna
SINGAPORE: The debate on proposed changes to the Elected Presidency system resumed on Tuesday (Nov 8), with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaking on the Bill tabled to amend the Constitution.
On Monday, Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob delivered a message on behalf of President Tony Tan Keng Yam, in which he urged Members of Parliament discussing the proposed changes to keep Singapore's future in mind.
In its White Paper released in September, the Government had broadly accepted the recommendations made by a nine-member Constitutional Commission in its review of the Elected Presidency system.
For the latest:
14:29 Why now?
PM Lee on reviewing the Elected Presidency system now: "I am doing it now, because it would be irresponsible for me to kick this can down the road and leave the problem to my successors."
Comments(0)
14:23 PM Lee on reserving the Presidential Election
The Prime Minister says the Government has taken the Attorney-General's advice and will start counting from the first President who exercised powers of the Elected President - i.e. Wee Kim Wee.
So it's:
Wee Kim Wee - Chinese
Ong Teng Cheong - Chinese
S R Nathan (2 terms) - Indian
Dr Tony Tan - Chinese
Next President - Malay
This would be the first Malay President for Singapore after more than 46 years.
Comments(0)
14:19 BREAKING: Next Presidential Election due in 2017 will be reserved for Malay candidates, says PM Lee
Comments(0)
14:18 PM Lee explains the hiatus-triggered model for reserved Presidential Elections
The hiatus-triggered model: If Singapore has not had a President from a particular community for five consecutive terms, then the next term will be reserved for a President from that community. This means that in the course of six Presidential terms, there should be at least one Chinese President, one Malay President, and one Indian or other minority President.
Comments(0)
14:11 President is "most important unifying symbol of the nation"
PM Lee on importance of having the Presidency be multi-racial: "Singaporeans look up to the President as the personification of all that we stand for in Singapore."
Comments(0)
14:06 "We are not a Chinese country"
Because of Singapore's population and cultural familiarity, people may misunderstand that it is a Chinese country, and forget that Singapore is in fact an independent sovereign country, PM Lee says.
"We are not a Chinese country. And we have to show this - domestically ... and externally, to other countries."
Comments(0)
14:00 "If men were angels, no government would be necessary"
PM Lee quotes James Madison, one of the founding fathers of the US: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. A dependence on the people is no doubt the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions."
This proves elections are important, PM Lee says.
Comments(0)
13:53 No to non-elected President with no "second key"
"I believe that over the past 25 years, even though the Elected President has never had to veto any spending proposal by the Government, by the very existence of his powers, he has influenced Singapore politics for the better. The prospect of a veto alone has lessened the temptation for political parties to promise the world to voters in general elections," says PM Lee.
Comments(0)
13:51 No to having a non-elected President, with powers vested in CPA
An unelected Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), "a council of non-political wise men, works well as an advisory panel to the Elected President who makes the final decision and has a democratic mandate", says PM Lee. "But once the CPA itself becomes the decision maker, if the CPA members are unelected, they will have the same problem saying no as an unelected President who has to say no."
Comments(0)
13:49 No to appointed President
PM Lee reiterates why it's not wise to take up the Constitutional Commission's recommendation to revert to a system of appointing a President. "To veto the Government is a major decision; you must have a democratic mandate to make that call."
He's made the same point in an interview with Mediacorp.
Comments(0)
13:47 Difficulties aside, EP still a "plus"
"For all its difficulties, I am convinced that the Elected President has been a plus for our system," says PM Lee.
Comments(0)
13:46 "Presidential election itself presents difficulties"
In a fiercely contested campaign, "emotions and sentiments build up, and issues that have nothing to do with the role of the President can become hot", such that candidates make claims, promises and declarations which go beyond the President’s powers and competence under the Constitution, says PM Lee.
He says this happened in the 2011 Presidential Election, where one candidate championed a S$60 billlion economic plan, supposedly to create jobs and enterprise; another candidate made proposals such as better recognition for national servicemen, and more help for the poor and unemployed.
"These are the Government’s responsibility, for the Prime Minister and Cabinet to decide, not for the President to promise in a campaign, or push for after being elected."
Comments(0)
13:42 Uniqueness of Singapore's Elected Presidency
"No other country has anything quite like Singapore’s Elected President," says PM Lee. "It is a unique system, very difficult to get right, because the balance is delicate. A symbolic Head of State, but elected through a national ballot.
"With a popular mandate, but not a mandate to govern. He can use his mandate to say no in certain specified areas But not to push for policies or to initiate action."
Comments(0)
13:32 PM Lee kicks off Day 2 of debate on Elected Presidency
"It is my Government’s duty to review the scheme, to make adjustments well ahead of time to enable it to continue to function well, because the Elected Presidency is a long-term stabiliser for our political system."
Comments(0)
09:24 RECAP: Parliament debates changes to Elected Presidency, Day 1
Prior to the start of the debate on Monday, Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob delivered a message to Parliament on behalf of President Tony Tan Keng Yam where he stressed that the Elected President must act in accordance with the roles prescribed in the Constitution and not hold back the Elected Government of the day from performing its executive role or serve as a second centre of power.
In a 1.5-hour speech during the debate, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean also explained the Bill to amend the Constitution, saying that they would provide stability to Singapore's system and “help to avoid gridlock in situations where the President and the Government do not agree”.
