The Reform Party Calls for A Second Round of Voting in the PE
Published: 28th August 2011The Reform Party congratulates Dr. Tony Tan on his appointment as the next President of Singapore. Our position on the Elected Presidency has always been consistent. It is an infringement on the sovereignty of a democratically elected Parliament. See our last press release on 25th August 2011, http://thereformparty.net/about/press-releases/an-elected-president-will-not-contribute-to-ensuring-transparency-over-our-sovereign-wealth-funds-nor-will-it-provide-any-meaningful-check-and-balance-on-the-executive/.
Nevertheless the people have spoken and a clear majority has said that they want another President other than the current winner. In order to respect the people’s wishes, the Reform Party calls on the Prime Minister to amend the Constitution to allow for a second round of voting a week later where one candidate fails to gain an overall majority on the first round. A run-off is a feature of elections in several First World nations as well as in the Presidential election of our neighbour, Indonesia.
Unlike the government, which only needs a bare majority of seats in Parliament, the President should unite Singaporeans of all political persuasions and views. To do this he needs to be elected by a clear majority of votes cast and not just on an almost statistically insignificant difference between him and the runner-up.
Released by Kenneth Jeyaretnam on behalf of the Reform Party on 28th August 2011