President Andrew Kuan?

News broke today that former Group Chief Financial Officer of Jurong Town Corporation, Mr Andrew Kuan, has expressed his serious intention to contest the upcoming Presidential Elections.

To me, when I first read the news, WOW. This blog is apolitical, but I think it would be good if Singaporeans at least get to choose, in the spirit of the ELECTED presidency. If President S.R. Nathan is re-elected despite this contest, that will only strengthen his mandate and silence his critics that he got the presidency by a fluke, ala President George W. Bush who also had a controversial election having garnered less than 50% of the votes against former Vice-President Al Gore, but silenced his critics 4 years later by gaining the popular vote.

If of course Andrew Kuan is elected as President, it would be interesting to see how things turn out. Presidents Yusof Ishak, Benjamin Sheares and Wee Kim Wee all had non-political backgrounds and yet they are remembered as our great Presidents. NUS has halls named after our first 2 Presidents, and I am just waiting to see what they name after our late President Wee Kim Wee.

I look forward to having the chance to cast my first vote, having turned 21 six weeks ago.