Incessant Attack on TKL by 154th. Vote Wisely 60%, Your Last Chance to Redeem Yoursel

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[h=3]Jul 30, 2011[/h][h=1]Accept EP's role or don't stand[/h]<!-- by line --><!-- end by line -->
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PRESIDENTIAL hopefuls Tan Kin Lian and Tan Cheng Bock want to be a voice for the people, but the elected presidency is not the office for that ('Tan Kin Lian: President should speak up publicly'; Thursday).
Championing public issues is the work of MPs. If the elected president (EP) does not comply with the duties specified constitutionally, conflict may result between him and the Government.
Like the structure of a corporation where the functions of the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) are spelt out clearly, the Constitution does likewise for the EP and the Government.
Mr Tan should know this. When he was CEO of NTUC Income, he could not step beyond the boundary of his authority and would not have wanted others to interfere with his operational duties.
He must also be aware that as a presidential aspirant, he must leave the day-to-day running of the country to the Government.
Parliament is the voice of the people and if Mr Tan wishes to be so, he should stand for the next general election.
If he and Dr Tan cannot accept the EP's constitutional role, they should not stand for election.
Dr Tan should have continued to serve in Parliament instead of relinquishing his long role as an MP if he had wished to continue to voice public issues.
It is sad that these two men, who had contributed much to the country before stepping down, now say they want to be the people's spokesmen.
The president occupies the highest office and must commit to maintaining Singapore's image and status globally.
Daniel Chia
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Re: Incessant Attack on TKL by 154th. Vote Wisely 60%, Your Last Chance to Redeem You

[h=3]Jul 30, 2011[/h][h=1]Why a campaign promise may ring hollow[/h]<!-- by line --><!-- end by line -->
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THE upcoming presidential election is a double-edged sword ('Hard to confine an elected president to his custodial role' by Mr Liew Shiau Min; Thursday).
Its lofty rules of eligibility are no longer a barrier to candidacy and, more importantly, as the elected presidency has now become politicised, it will be hard for an elected president to remain apolitical.
While candidates should not be partisan, a presidential hopeful must campaign for votes and this requires the involvement of some measure of politics.
How much representation can Singaporeans expect with such constraints?
Given the political watershed of May's General Election, it will not benefit voters or the Government to have an elected president who is at odds with the Government, but who is constrained by his constitutional duties to voice public concerns.
Because of this anomaly, the promise of presidential aspirants to be a voice for the people might just sound hollow.
Stephanie Foo (Miss)