1993 Singapore Presidential Election
A presidential election was held in Singapore on 28 August 1993. It was the first direct election of the President following 1991 constitutional amendments that made the office popularly elected for a six-year term. The incumbent, Wee Kim Wee, who had been elected by Parliament in 1989, did not seek re-election.
The office is non-partisan; both candidates, Ong Teng Cheong and Chua Kim Yeow, stood as independents after resigning from any prior party membership, and both were issued a Certificate of Eligibility and a community certificate. It remains the only Singapore presidential election to date contested by exactly two candidates.
Ong Teng Cheong won with 58.69% of the valid votes and was inaugurated on 1 September 1993 as the fifth President of Singapore and the first to be directly elected.
Background
In January 1991 the Constitution was amended to provide for a popularly elected President serving a six-year term. The elected presidency gave the office custodial powers over the national reserves and key public-service appointments, exercised on the advice of the Council of Presidential Advisers. The President may withhold assent in defined areas, including changes to the investment powers of the Central Provident Fund Board, restraining orders under the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act, continued detention under the Internal Security Act, and the refusal of investigations by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.
Eligibility is determined by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC). Candidates must satisfy either a public-sector or a private-sector requirement, each with an automatic track (having held a designated senior public office, or the chairmanship or chief executive role of a company with at least S$100 million in paid-up capital) and a deliberative track, under which the PEC assesses whether a candidate's experience is equivalent.
Under transitional provisions, the outgoing President Wee Kim Wee had exercised the functions of an elected President as though he had been elected to the office.
Candidates
Two candidates were issued a Certificate of Eligibility and contested the election:
- Ong Teng Cheong — a former PAP Chairman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Labour, and MP for Toa Payoh GRC (1988–1993) and Kim Keat SMC (1972–1988). He resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and from the PAP before submitting his eligibility forms.
- Chua Kim Yeow — Singapore's first local Accountant-General, who was persuaded by the government to stand to avoid an uncontested walkover.
Two applicants were refused a Certificate of Eligibility:
- J. B. Jeyaretnam — Secretary-General of the Workers' Party.
- Tan Soo Phuan — a member of the Workers' Party.
Two others declined or withdrew: the incumbent Wee Kim Wee, who chose not to seek re-election, and Nominated MP Chia Shi Teck, who had applied to avert a walkover but withdrew once Chua stood.
Nomination
Candidates required a Certificate of Eligibility from the PEC and an election deposit of S$18,000, three times that of a parliamentary candidate. Ong was supported by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew; one of his assentors was Halimah Yacob, later the eighth President. Some Cabinet and PAP figures backed Chua, including Minister for Finance Richard Hu and OCBC Bank chairman Tony Tan, later the seventh President.
Chua, a reluctant candidate, ran a minimal campaign over the ten-day period, appearing on television only twice and stating on polling day that Ong was the better candidate.
Results
The Returning Officer declared Ong Teng Cheong elected with 58.69% of the valid votes at the Singapore Conference Hall. Chua Kim Yeow took 41.31%.
| 1993 Singapore presidential election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Affiliation | Votes | % | Bar |
| Ong Teng Cheong | Independent | 952,513 | 58.69 | |
| Chua Kim Yeow | Independent | 670,358 | 41.31 | |
| Invalid votes: 36,611. Registered electors: 1,756,517. Turnout: 94.48%. Source: Elections Department Singapore | ||||
See also
References
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