Presidential candidates have tried to establish their 'independence' to varying degrees of success: Analysts

SINGAPORE: The central issue of “independence” dominating this year’s Presidential Election has become murky, with all three candidates trying to establish their credentials on this front but not necessarily succeeding, political analysts told CNA on Monday (Aug 28).

While former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian has stressed his independence from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and the current government, his endorsement by various opposition politicians means that his claims have to be called into question, the observers said.

On Sunday, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, chairman of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), came out to endorse Mr Tan Kin Lian in his own personal capacity.

Dr Tan appeared in public along with Mr Tan Jee Say, a member of the Singapore Democratic Party and Mr Tan Kin Lian’s proposer. All three men had contested and lost the 2011 Presidential Election.

Peoples Voice's Lim Tean and People's Power Party's Goh Meng Seng have also voiced their support for Mr Tan Kin Lian, with Mr Lim serving as his seconder.

"STRATEGY OF TOXIC CAMPAIGNING"

Instead of focusing on the role of the presidency and what the candidates can bring to the office of the President, there is now “a strategy of toxic campaigning about one’s allegiance”, said Nanyang Technological University political analyst Felix Tan.

He questioned Mr Tan Kin Lian’s claims of independence “when they wage a campaign that clearly has a polarising effect”.

“(Mr Tan) and his team of supporters have been rather disingenuous. While they have argued about independence and being non-partisan, they are clearly supported by a group of opposition political leaders, albeit some of them clearly stating that they are only supporting him in their own capacity,” he added.

“So, as much as they can accuse the other candidates of being affiliated with the ruling party, they aren’t exactly saints themselves.”

Associate Professor Eugene Tan from Singapore Management University also noted that Mr Tan Kin Lian’s assertion of independence “is at odds” with Dr Tan Cheng Bock’s endorsement, as well as the fact that his core advisers and support team comprise several opposition politicians.

On Sunday, Mr Tan Kin Lian told reporters that Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Mr Tan Jee Say would make “excellent candidates” for the Council of Presidential Advisors (CPA), should voters elect him as President.

Assoc Prof Tan said that this view destroys any claim made by Mr Tan Kin Lian of being “truly independent”.

“The presidency is a non-partisan office and must be above the political fray. By including active politicians, including those who promote the opposition’s cause, in the CPA, effectively politicises the presidency and the CPA and will transform it into a partisan institution,” he added.

Dr Felix Tan said: "The irony is that for all that he has argued for the independence of the role of the President, he is clearly selecting a team that has strong allegiance to political parties.

"One would question how 'independent' that would be."

Dr Gillian Koh, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), noted that Mr Tan Kin Lian's latest election poster says "One vote, three presidents".

He also advocates for policy changes which are "beyond the role of President, which may lead people to misunderstand the election", she said. 

"He will have to distance himself far more from the opposition politicians if he wishes to convince anyone that he is independent," Dr Koh added.

The analysts also noted how the other two presidential candidates have tried, in their own ways and with varying degrees of success, to highlight their independence.

Former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has urged voters to consider his track record of being independent-minded, while Mr Ng Kok Song has repeatedly styled himself as a non-partisan candidate with no political affiliations, Assoc Prof Tan said.

However, Mr Tharman “cannot hide the fact that he was Deputy Prime Minister until recently” and that he was popular in his Jurong ward, said Dr Alan Chong, senior fellow with the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Mr Tharman was in PAP for 22 years and served as a Member of Parliament in Jurong Group Representation Constituency before resigning from the party to contest the election. He was Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019.

Nevertheless, Dr Felix Tan said that Mr Tharman has clearly avoided any tacit support or endorsement from the PAP and focused on what the Presidential Election should be about – one’s character, integrity, experience, values and abilities.

As for Mr Ng, people “are also mindful of the fact that he was in GIC, so the idea of independence on his part needs to be creatively narrated”, said Dr Chong.

Mr Ng is the former chief investment officer of GIC, Singapore's sovereign fund. He spent a total of 45 years in public service, including at the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Dr Koh from IPS said that it is not helpful for candidates to be campaigning along partisan lines because the President's ceremonial and community functions "require the President, the candidates for the role, not to polarise the country on party lines".

Meanwhile, Assoc Prof Tan sought to point out how the popular characterisation of "independence" has been "simplistic".

Mr Tharman and Mr Ng are often referred to as being from the establishment, while Mr Tan Kin Lian has described himself as being "truly independent from the government". This belies a fundamental misunderstanding of the elected presidency and what independence of the office is for, Assoc Prof Tan said.

"The larger point that needs to be borne in mind is that 'independence' is a means to an end of enabling the faithful execution of the powers of the presidency," he noted.

"It is not an end in itself in that it is used to become an alternative power centre to the elected government. It was never conceived as such and should never become one. Our system of government remains a parliamentary one."

CONFLATING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WITH GENERAL ELECTION?

On a similar note, some will inevitably take the Presidential Election as a General Election and it will be “an opportunity for voters to vent”, said Dr Chong.

“It’s about democracy – what makes people happy or unhappy at any point in time is usually articulated in an election,” he added.

However, Dr Felix Tan stressed that voting for a President is not about voting for a political party.

“Unfortunately, the PE seems to be conflated with a GE … Voters need to understand that the Presidential Election is about electing a candidate that can best represent Singaporeans and not about party politics,” he said.

“The growing anti-establishment sentiments on the ground is not helping as some of them are voting based on a very narrow understanding of the President.”

Assoc Prof Tan agreed, saying that every vote “is too precious to be used for purposes other than deciding who is most suited to be president”.

“To treat the PE as a political prize to be captured for political ends will undermine the presidency as a critical institution in our system of checks and balances. Voters can make their views known on the government of the day through their ballots in a GE.”