Here we go again... S R Nathan again...
Extract from Channelnewsasia ( article dates 17th August 2005)SINGAPORE : Singapore President SR Nathan has been re-elected to a second six-year term in office. Returning officer Tan Boon Huat announced this when nomination for the Elected Presidency closed at noon on Wednesday.
Mr Tan said, "At the close of Nomination at 12 noon today, I accepted only one set of Nomination papers -- that of Mr SR Nathan. No valid objection to the nomination paper was made by, or to me. Mr Nathan therefore is the sole candidate at the close of nomination. I hereby declare the President of the Republic of Singapore, Mr SR Nathan." Delivering a short speech in the four official languages, Mr Nathan thanked all his supporters, most of whom hailed from the labour movement.
Mr Nathan filed his nomination papers at about 11.20am, shortly after he arrived at the Nomination Centre set up at the People's Association in Stadium Link. He was accompanied by his proposer, seconder and four assentors. Eighty-one-year-old Mr Nathan was the only candidate qualified to stand for election, having been issued the Certificate of Eligibility by the Presidential Elections Committee.
Three others who filed for the certificate were rejected. One of them was former Group Chief Financial Officer of JTC Corporation, Andrew Kuan. The other two were former tutor and realtor Ooi Boon Ewe, and Ramachandran Govindasamy Naidu, a retired senior storekeeper from the Commonwealth Forces. The Presidential Elections Committee, in rejecting them, said their career history showed they did not have the comparable responsibility necessary for the office of the Presidency.
Please refer to the "PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE ON APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF ELIGIBILITY" and see the committee's justification for their rejection of the other candidates.
I had been looking forward to my first legal vote in an election. But today, it is yet another walkover. The only time we had a "true" democratic presidential election was in 1993, 12 years ago. Mr Ong Teng Cheong's became our 1st elected president. And sadly, at least from my standpoint, he was the last. So much for the democracy that we pledge for. Do we really lack talented (old) man who can represent, unit and symbolise the spirit of the nation? Is it true that Singaporeans just can't be bothered with politics? Or is it just that we can't be bothered with Singapore politics? Sometimes, you can't blame Singaporeans for reactly coldly to local politics. Look at the way the game is played here. Politics here bring fear, not democracy. Most Singaporeans have "politicile dysfunction"(PD). Most of us are political dummies.
Look at how the media blatantly portray President S R Nathan vs. the way they present Andrew Kuan. Does the opposition parties ever get media coverage? Yes they do - mostly on their way to court or jail. OK, credit must be given to the peace and stability provided by the Singaporean style of "democracy". But isn't it time we moved on? We can't keep on acting like a democracy, we have to start becoming one.
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