Singapore‘s former deputy prime minister, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, has been officially elected as president in a historic development for the city-state. This marks the first contested election for the predominantly ceremonial position in over a decade.
The Elections Department announced the victory of the 66-year-old economist, who secured an impressive 70.4 percent of the total ballots cast. Election returning officer Tan Meng Dui formally declared Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the duly elected president of Singapore.
Mr. Shanmugaratnam assumes the role, taking over from incumbent Halimah Yacob, who had run unopposed and secured her six-year term in 2017.
