Presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam meets his supporters after early sample vote count results at the presidential election in Singapore September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A former member of Singapore‘s ruling party on Saturday scored a landslide victory to become the city-state’s president, in an election seen as a barometer of public sentiment amid economic challenges and high-profile scandals.
Former deputy prime minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, won 70.4% of votes, the elections department said, to become Singapore‘s head of state. The country is a parliamentary democracy and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the head of government.
Analysts said the landslide victory for the candidate seen as closest to the establishment is a sign that Singaporeans generally still trust the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
“It shows that the PAP is still…
