WP chairman files motion to speak on timing of reserved presidential election

This article is more than 12 months old

Sep 20, 2017 06:00 am

The Workers' Party (WP) is making a second bid to raise the issue of the elected presidency in Parliament.

Barely a week after Madam Halimah Yacob was sworn in as Singapore's eighth President, Ms Sylvia Lim has filed an adjournment motion to speak on the timing of the reserved presidential election during the Oct 2 Parliament sitting.

The WP chairman had wanted to raise the issue during the Sept 11 Parliament sitting, but her motion was not picked in a ballot. Two days after the sitting, Madam Halimah was declared the winner in a walkover at the presidential election.

Ms Lim's motion has to do with the Government's count of the five presidential terms required to trigger a reserved election.

It is titled "Counting from President Wee Kim Wee or President Ong Teng Cheong for Reserved Presidential Election - Policy Decision or Legal Question?"

An election is reserved for candidates from a community if five terms have passed without a president from that community.  - THE STRAITS TIMES