Amid pouring of congratulatory messages, Singapore’s President-elect Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Saturday said he is surprised by such a high degree of endorsement and that he is very serious about wanting to fulfil the mandate given by the people.
Speaking to journalists at his first doorstop interview since the official result was declared, Tharman said, he did not expect such a high degree of endorsement. Describing the result as a reflection of remarkable unity of Singaporeans, the economist-turned-politician said he thinks Singaporeans have been very sensible in the way they voted.
Earlier, Indian-origin Economist and Former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has registered a landslide victory in Singapore’s Presidential election. The results were announced at past midnight on Friday. The Minister won over 70 percent of votes in the country’s first contested presidential polls since 2011. Sixty-six-year-old Tharman Shanmugaratnam had served as Singapore’s Deputy prime minister from 2011 to 2019. He joined politics in 2001. He has also worked in the public sector and held ministerial positions.
Tharman will be Singapore’s third Indian-origin President after Sellapan Ramanathan and Chengara Veetil Devan Nair. Earlier, the polls ended with over 2.7 million voters casting their ballots. Singaporeans voted in large numbers on Friday in the country’s first contested presidential election in more than a decade.
