Indian-origin former Minister Tharman in race as Singapore set to vote on new President on September 1

Singaporeans to vote on Sept 1 for 9th President; 3-way contest with Indian-origin Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Ng Kok Song & Tan Kin Lian.

People in Singapore will vote on September 1 to elect the country’s ninth President, with former Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam hoping to be the next Indian-origin Singaporean head of the state in a three-way contest.

Mr. Shanmugaratnam, 66, an Indian-origin Singapore-born economist, formally launched his presidential campaign last month with a pledge to evolve the country's culture to keep it a "shining spot" in the world.

He is one of the three candidates chosen under strict criteria. Singapore has a stringent qualification process for candidates vying for the presidency.

This will be Singapore's first contested presidential election in years. On August 11, Singapore said it will hold the presidential election on September 1 if more than one person qualifies to run for the highest office.

If only one candidate had become eligible for the post, he or she would have been declared President on nomination day on August 22.

This year, candidates from all races can vie for the post but they cannot be affiliated to any political party on the date of nomination.

Mr. Therman, who joined politics in 2001, has served in the public sector and ministerial positions with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) for over two decades. Chinese-origin Singaporeans Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian are the other two contenders.