New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the newly elected President and said that he looked forward to working closely. PM Modi tweeted, "Hearty congratulations @Tharman_s on your election as the President of Singapore. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership."
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the newly elected President and said that he looked forward to working closely. PM Modi tweeted, “Hearty congratulations @Tharman_s on your election as the President of Singapore. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership.”
Hearty congratulations @Tharman_s on your election as the President of Singapore. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 2, 2023
On Friday, Indian-origin Singapore-born economist, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, registered a landslide victory in Singapore first presidential election. This was Singapore’s first presidential election since 2011. Singapore has had two Indian-origin Presidents in the past.
Tharman became the third Indian-origin President of Singapore. He secured over 70 per cent ((1,746,427 votes) in the election in which 2.48 million votes were cast. His Chinese-origin rivals Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian received 15.72 percent and 13.88 percent of the vote, respectively, the elections department said.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Thurman, who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 2011 to 2019, on winning the presidential election. He said, “Singaporeans have elected Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam as our next President by a decisive margin. As head of state, he will represent us at home and abroad, and exercise patronage powers, including reserve and premier appointments.”
Lee said that both voters and candidates showed a better understanding of the president’s roles and duties in the election. He said, “I have full confidence that he will perform his duties as President very well.”
Speaking earlier at the Taman Jurong Food Centre, where his supporters had gathered, Thurman said he was “really grateful by the strong support” given to him by Singaporeans.
Prime Minister Lee’s People’s Action Party (PAP) supported Thurman in the election. “I’m overwhelmed by this vote – this is not just a vote for me, this is a vote for the future of Singapore, a future of optimism and solidarity. This is really what this is about. My campaign was one of optimism and solidarity, and I I believe this is what Singaporeans want. I will respect the confidence that Singaporeans have placed in me, and I will respect all Singaporeans, including those who did not vote for me,” he said.
