Anger every 2d Singapore gets commencement woman individual president, Halimah Yacob, without a vote


Singapore got its outset woman someone president Wednesday, but the milestone was overshadowed yesteryear criticism that her option was undemocratic afterward she was handed the project without a vote.

Halimah Yacob, a sometime speaker of parliament from the Muslim Malay minority, did non select to facial expression upward an election for the largely ceremonial post service afterward authorities decided her rivals did non come across eligibility criteria.

It was non the outset fourth dimension inwards the affluent city-state -- which is tightly controlled together with has been ruled yesteryear the same political party for decades -- that the authorities has disqualified presidential candidates, making an election unnecessary.

But at that topographic point was already unease most the procedure every bit it was the outset fourth dimension that the presidency had been reserved for a detail race, inwards this illustration the Malay community. The conclusion to mitt her the project without an election added to the anger.

Social media was abuzz amongst criticism every bit Halimah, a bespectacled 63-year-old who wears a headscarf, was formally announced every bit president-elect, amongst Facebook user Pat Eng writing: "Elected without an election. What a joke."

"I volition telephone phone her President Select from at nowadays on," said Joel Kong on the networking site, piece about posts were marked amongst the hashtag #NotMyPresident -- echoing the message used yesteryear upset Americans afterward the election of President Donald Trump.

  • 'President for everyone' -

Halimah was a fellow member of parliament for the ruling People's Action Party for nearly ii decades earlier resigning to competition the presidency. She addressed the concerns most the option procedure afterward beingness named president-elect.

"I'm a president for everyone. Although there's no election, my commitment to serve yous remains the same," she said.

Halimah added she would "start working immediately" to convey the the world together.

She too insisted her condition every bit Singapore's outset woman someone president was "not simply tokenism", inwards a spoken communication to a cheering crowd piece wearing orange, a color supposed to symbolise unity.

"Every adult woman tin aspire to the highest operate inwards the the world when yous select the courage, determination together with volition to piece of occupation hard," she said.

Singapore's caput of province has express powers, including vetoing senior official appointments. But an institution figure has e'er held the operate together with at that topographic point are rarely tensions amongst the government.

Authorities decided to permit entirely candidates from the Malay community to seat themselves forwards for the presidency to foster harmony inwards the city-state of 5.5 1000000 people which is dominated yesteryear ethnic Chinese, together with give to a greater extent than opportunities to minorities.

Halimah is the outset Malay president of Singapore for almost 5 decades. The final was Yusof Ishak, president from 1965 to 1970, the outset years of the city-state's independence.

But the conclusion to boundary candidates to i race had caused concern, including amid Malays, every bit it was seen every bit positive discrimination that ran counter to the city-state's traditional meritocratic principles.

Five people had originally seat their names forwards for the presidency together with the authorities had scheduled an election for September 23.

Two were speedily eliminated every bit they were non Malay. The ii others, Malay businessmen, were disqualified on Mon every bit their companies were smaller than required yesteryear strict novel eligibility rules introduced final year.

Halimah automatically qualified every bit she has held world office. She volition hold upward inaugurated inwards a ceremony on Thursday.

AFP/Photo credit: Reuters

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