Singapore Picks Lee’s Man as President, Narrowly Avoiding Upset

Former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan was elected as Singapore’s next president with a margin of about 0.3 percent over his nearest rival, a result that signals the ruling party still has more to do to appease voters.

Tan, who was backed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as well as several ministers and trade unions even though he ran as an independent, was declared the victor early yesterday following a recount. He beat Tan Cheng Bock, a former Singapore lawmaker who was also with the ruling PAP, by 7,269 votes, according to the Elections Department.