Do we really need a President
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or just a figure head if we were to put it nicely.Originally posted by Urban Monkey:Sorry to say this, as far as I am concern, our President is just a puppet.
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We do need a president, without a president, who esle got the time to attend those charitable functions, give non-political speeches. -
Singapore is a republic with a parliamentary system of Government based on the Westminster Model. The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore provides for a President who is the Head of State. Prior to 1991, the President was appointed by Parliament and had a largely ceremonial role.
Taken from http://www.istana.gov.sg/pro.html
In January 1991, the Constitution was amended to allow for the election of a President by the citizens of Singapore. The elected President will hold office for a fixed term of six years. The creation of the elected presidency is a major constitutional and political change in Singapore's history.
Under the revision, the President is empowered to veto government budgets and appointments to public office. He can also examine the Government's exercise of its powers under the Internal Security Act and religious harmony laws, and in investigations into cases of corruption. The President must, however, consult the Council of Presidential Advisers before he takes a decision on some of these matters.
Basically he acts as an overseer and still has the overriding decision over important issues passed down by the legislation. However, most of the time, the president performs the deed of simply acknowledging rather than strongly opposing bills.
The word in red basically says he's just a decoration for majority of his time. To act as a host to visiting VIPs to relieve the Government from unneccessary social time with decorations (Kings etc) from other nations. -
The election system itself is at fault.
Electoral system currently has been stifled by GRC and muffled by boundary redrawing. It is a farce and unrepresentative of population's expectation.
A system permitting up to ten percents of seats to go to opposition gaining the highest votes among themselves will be most welcomed remaking of Singapore.
Any support? -
I tot Spore President is juz a tool use for WAYANG
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Originally posted by ditzy:
Did the late President Ong Teng Cheong "fought to give the president more power" ?
Remember Ong Teng Cheong? I find that he was the one who fought to give the president more power. Just my opinion.
Not exactly in this manner.
The actions that he took, had actually put to the TEST the concept that was developed by LKY for an Elected President to provide a check towards an Elected Government, who may turn out to be a renegade, and wildly spend the Reserves accumulated by the PREVIOUS government or governments.
Since as an Elected President, part of his duty is to guard the National Reserves - in a 2 key system to open the "National Bank Account" - and in order for him to protect that National Reserves, it is only logical that he will NEED TO KNOW the REAL EXTENT or SIZE of the National Reserve.
As events had been reported, the Government stalled, and raised all kinds of objections that the late President Ong Teng Cheong had dared to ask for a FULL ACCOUNTING of the National Reserve - which would have included all the assets in Cash, Gold, and Investments (Domestic and Overseas) as managed by the Treasury, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Government Investment Corporation, Temasek Holdings, and the Singapore Government and all the affiliated subordinate agencies, statutory boards or authorities.
The late President Ong Teng Cheong left office, with the task unfinished, and exposed the supposed "weakness" that is NOT IN FAVOR of the Government, if the relationship between the Elected Presidency and the Elected Government is to continue with the Elected Presidency being able to have some Executive Powers over the Elected Government.
Changes were made to the original LEGISLATION that had given the Elected President some limited executive powers over the Elected Government, which was limited to the manner that the Government is to spend the National Reserves that have been accumulated by Previous Government or Governments.