SINGAPORE – Like other countries, Singapore’s political system requires “auxiliary precautions”, beyond the primary control through a Parliament elected by the people – and the Elected Presidency (EP) provides just that, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday (Nov 8) as he joined in the debate on the Bill to amend the EP scheme.
Speaking on the second day of the debate on the constitutional amendment Bill, Mr Lee pointed to the example of the constitution of the United States – where its people are electing a new president in a keenly-watched contest – for its “great store on checks and balances”.
The three centres of power – the Congress, the Executive and the Supreme Court – are constantly balancing one another, Mr Lee noted. The Congress itself is divided between the House and the Senate, which are separately elected and often with a different party as majority. There is sometimes gridlock, but the country accepts that because their aim is to prevent an overbearing government, he said.
“Right now, the US is about to go to the polls in a few hours’ time to elect a new president. The world is watching with bated breath, exceptionally concerned what the outcome will be,” Mr Lee said. “Because this time the two candidates represent radically different world views… The outcome will matter a lot, to the US and to the world. But one factor which people take some comfort in is the strong checks and balances in the US political system.”
Quoting Mr James Madison, who was one of America’s founding fathers, Mr Lee said: “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. A dependence on the people is no doubt the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.”
Mr Lee said he does not think that a system like what the US has can work for Singapore. However, “every system needs political stabilisers” and Singapore is no different. “We should keep the Elected President and fine-tune its stabliser role,” he said.
Mr Lee also addressed alternatives to the EP scheme and explained why they would not work. On the suggestion to have a non-elected President that holds the same custodial powers as that of the elected President today, Mr Lee pointed out that when the unelected President will find it hard to stand his ground when he has to say no to an elected Government. Another suggestion that has come up is to have a non-elected President chosen by the Parliament but his powers will be vested in the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA). Mr Lee noted that the same issue arises when the CPA, whose members are unelected, becomes the decision-maker and has to say no to the Government.
If the CPA were to be elected, multiple elections would have to be held for Presidential advisors instead of just one to elect the President. Each election risks being politicised and the problem will be amplified, not reduced, he said.
As to the proposal to have a non-elected President with a purely ceremonial role, as it was before 1990, Mr Lee said this arrangement would fail to safeguard and stabilise the system.
Mr Lee noted that the very existence of the President’s custodial powers – under the EP scheme created in 1991 – has influenced Singapore politics for the better. “The prospect of a veto alone has lessened the temptation for political parties to promise the world to voters in General Elections,” he added. It is also why opposition parties have been “quite cautious with their spending proposals”, he said. Without this second key held by the Elected President, some parties would have “gone to town many elections ago”. The People’s Action Party (PAP) Government would also have come under pressure to match their generosity, he said.
Referring to how candidates in the fiercely-contested 2011 PE made claims, promises and declarations that are beyond the President’s powers and competence under the Constitution, Mr Lee said: “But for all its difficulties, I am convinced that the Elected President has been a plus for our system. Having this stabiliser is critical, and has already made a difference.”
He added: “Even though it is not easy to get right, we should persevere to improve the system. We can find ways to mitigate the difficulties, and will do so. Because the alternatives to the Elected President will create other, probably worse, difficulties.”
