Singapore holds first contested presidential vote in over a decade

Singaporeans arrive to vote at a polling station during the city-state’s presidential election in Singapore on September 1, 2023. / AFP

Singaporeans head to the polls Friday in the city-state’s first contested presidential election in more than a decade, a vote being closely watched as an indication of support for the ruling party after a rare spate of political scandals.

The president’s role is largely ceremonial, but there are stringent requirements for the position, which formally oversees the city’s accumulated financial reserves and holds the power to veto certain measures and approve anti-graft probes.

While the presidency is a non-partisan post under the constitution, political lines were already drawn ahead of the election to replace incumbent Halimah Yacob, who ran unopposed for her six-year term in 2017.

The city-state’s government is run by the prime minister,…