A Forgone Conclusion?

Image by World Economic Forum via FlickrJust how "independent" can an independent candidate be?

I was not surprised to see one of the leading PAP stalwarts shedding their party affiliations to run for President.

A former deputy PM of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan, has until recently been part of a small group responsible investing Singapore's reserves through the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC).

As well as holding on to the purse strings he has also headed the agency controlling Singapore's media - MediaCorp.  Clearly a very influential and faithful servant of government and one would have to think he remains so.

In an earlier article I mentioned the belief that an overtly PAP endorsed candidate would find such support a 'poison chalice'.  So it is not surprising that Dr Tan is trying to project his candicacy as truly independent, and I do not forsee him having any problems securing his Certificate of Eligibility.

Prior to the recent GE he would not doubt have been the candidate that received the government endorsement for the Presidential post, should he have wished it.

The MediaCorp coverage of his candicacy announcment is also to be expected, although it is notable that his opponents have achieved considerably less column centimetres thus far.



Now that such a PAP heavyweight (make that 'ex-PAP heavyweight') has thrown his hat into the ring I don't fancy the chances of the other candidates in the race, although I would like to think that they too will have no problems in getting their Certificates of Eligibility.

Dr Tan has stated that he was not approached by the government to run and it was entirely his own decision to do so.  The voters of Singapore will now need to make their own decision.