Tharman Shanmugaratnam Elected as President of Singapore

Tharman Shanmugaratnam has been elected as the President of Singapore, securing 70.4 percent of the votes and defeating two opponents in the election.

Tharman, a renowned Singaporean economist of Indian origin, ran as an independent candidate after leaving the People Action Party. His challengers, Ahn Kok Sang and Tan Kin Lian, secured 15.7 percent and 13.88 percent of the votes, respectively.

The role of the President in Singapore is not an executive one, but the President does hold some influence over the treasury. However, the President is constrained in terms of speaking freely, and Singapore's government has the authority to remove the President at its discretion.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam brings extensive experience to the role, having previously served as Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. He has also worked at prominent international institutions such as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund. At one point, he was even considered a contender for the chairmanship of Mudra Kosh.