"My Fellow Singaporeans...": Indian-Origin Leader Is New Singapore President

Former Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is of Indian descent, was chosen President of Singapore in the first competitive election for the largely ceremonial role in the city-state in more than a decade.

"My fellow Singaporeans, I am truly humbled by the strong endorsement you have given me in our nation's presidential election. My fellow candidates put full effort and energy into their campaigns, and made this a worthy contest. I thank and commend them," Mr Shanmugaratnam posted on Facebook.

"Above all I thank my fellow Singaporeans, whichever way you voted, for your interest and calm engagement in the issues raised in the election. I believe the vote for me and what I stood for is a vote of confidence in Singapore itself, a vote of optimism in how we can progress together and support each other as Singaporeans," he said.

A lifelong stalwart of the party won more than two-thirds of the vote over two competitors, in elections keenly monitored for an indicator of support for the ruling party amid a rare string of scandals in Singapore.

The previous Finance Minister of Singapore made a speech before the results were released, "I believe that it's a vote of confidence in Singapore. It's a vote of optimism for a future in which we can progress together and support each other as Singaporeans."

He won 70.4% of the vote, giving him a six-year term in office.  "I'm humbled by this vote. It is not just a vote for me, it is a vote for Singapore's future," he said

Although the presidency is constitutionally non-partisan, political lines were set well in advance of the 2017 election to succeed incumbent Halimah Yacob, who campaigned for her six-year term without a challenger.