- Joined
- Aug 19, 2008
- Messages
- 38,563
- Points
- 113
SINGAPORE ultimately got the best man for the president's post. However, things need not have turned out that way as the close contest showed.
Furthermore, nearly 30 per cent of the electorate even thought it fit to vote for candidates who disagreed with the president's role as defined by the Constitution.
And only a minority of voters seem to have asked themselves the basic question: What is the real role of a president and who is best qualified to do it?
The most worrying implication of this for the future is that we might end up with an activist president who has the power to overrule the collective wisdom of the prime minister and the Cabinet in the use of national reserves, particularly in times of crisis when it matters most.
What would the consequences have been if, in the recent financial crisis, the Government had not been able to rapidly implement the Jobs Credit programme funded out of the reserves and the president had started insisting on his own conditions for the programme?
The initial premise behind an elected president to guard the reserves and prevent a rogue government from getting its hands on the till is still valid. However, the model needs to adapt and evolve along with the changing political environment, so that it can best serve Singapore's interests.
Bobby Jayaraman
He has some points but ultimately reeks of white.
Furthermore, nearly 30 per cent of the electorate even thought it fit to vote for candidates who disagreed with the president's role as defined by the Constitution.
And only a minority of voters seem to have asked themselves the basic question: What is the real role of a president and who is best qualified to do it?
The most worrying implication of this for the future is that we might end up with an activist president who has the power to overrule the collective wisdom of the prime minister and the Cabinet in the use of national reserves, particularly in times of crisis when it matters most.
What would the consequences have been if, in the recent financial crisis, the Government had not been able to rapidly implement the Jobs Credit programme funded out of the reserves and the president had started insisting on his own conditions for the programme?
The initial premise behind an elected president to guard the reserves and prevent a rogue government from getting its hands on the till is still valid. However, the model needs to adapt and evolve along with the changing political environment, so that it can best serve Singapore's interests.
Bobby Jayaraman
He has some points but ultimately reeks of white.
