The will of the people, freedom of speech, independent
judiciary and property rights are the cornerstones of democracy. George
Washington took great care to ensure that these principles of democracy were
never compromised as the first president of the United States of America. He
retired soon after winning the war against the British Empire and took up the
presidency at the invitation of the people. When he retired from his presidency
he led a private life. He did that to ensure that imperialism was not replaced
by despotism. Washington often referred to himself as the Chief Magistrate and
not the head of state or the commander in chief, a title which gained currency
with the later presidencies.
The 1st United States Congress voted
to pay Washington a salary of $25,000 a year—a large sum in 1789. Washington,
already wealthy, declined the salary, since he valued his image as a selfless
public servant. At the urging of Congress, however, he ultimately accepted the
payment, to avoid setting a precedent whereby the presidency would be perceived
as limited only to independently wealthy individuals who could serve without
any salary. The president aware that everything he did set a precedent,
attended carefully to the pomp and ceremony of office, making sure that the
titles and trappings were suitably republican and never emulated European royal
courts. To that end, he preferred the title "Mr. President" to the
more majestic names suggested. Nor did
Washington believe that it was the chief magistrate's role to serve as
"Tribune of the People," promising great works, and demanding the
power to carry them out.
There are lessons to be learnt from
Washington as we contemplate on our choices for president. Our political
situation is markedly different from the US and the institution of elected
presidency in Singapore is still in its nascent stages. This is the second time
an election is held for the office of presidency.
We worry, and rightly so, about the
concentration of executive powers in the ruling party. With over two-thirds
majority, the PAP has the power to legislate and amend the constitution at
their will. There is little or no freedom of press and there is little
information publicly available about the state of our national reserves. Just
like the parliament, the office of the elected presidency represents the will
of the people. However, the current constitution is written in such a way that
the president only acts as the guardian of our reserves apart from the numerous
ceremonial functions. As this institution matures, one hopes that the elected
presidency evolves as some expect, to represent the moral conscience of the
people and keep the executive branch in check.
Electing someone from the executive branch
or someone who has recently retired from office, like Dr. Tony Tan, as the
president does not provide the adequate checks that are required – pertinent
information about our past reserves can still be withheld from the public and
it is still kept within the closed network of PAP elites. Keeping such
information secret and kept close to their chests only brings more distrust
about the ruling party. The build-up of distrust and misgivings will only lead
to further pent-up ill feelings about the PAP, which will lead to their
ultimate downfall.
We have been witnessing such breakdowns
all around us; Bersih in Malaysia, rioting in the Middle East, and clashes
between various factions in Thailand. These civil unrests could have been
avoided if the press in those countries had played their part in reporting
fairly or even in helping broker power between polarized factions. But, sadly,
they chose sides or remained silent which have proven to be disastrous for some
regimes. PAP’s outsized conception of executive responsibility has driven their
need to have an exclusive grip on power. Only by reducing those demands and
through the office of an elected presidency can we restore the executive branch
to its proper constitutional place: a modest office with modest powers.
Vote for Tan Jee Say.
Vote for Tan Jee Say.
