The Elections Department earlier announced that they had received 6 applications for the Certificate of Eligibility (CEO) to run for the presidential election 2023, and issued 3 COEs to Ng Kok Song, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Tan Kin Lian.
Following the announcement, presidential hopeful George Goh issued a statement lamenting the rejection of his application for the COE.
He said that he is “very disappointed” at his rejection, and highlighted how he had “submitted a very strong case detailing my experience and performance managing five companies”.
He said that he is “saddened” and described the decision as having “deprived Singaporeans of a wider choice to select who the next President will be,” and that “It is a setback not just for me but for Singapore.”
George Goh’s press statement
From the Desk of George Goh Ching Wah
Date: 18 August 2023
Press Statement
I am very disappointed at the decision of the PEC to reject my application for a certificate of eligibility.
My legal and financial team submitted a very strong case detailing my experience and performance managing five companies which met the shareholders’ equity and profitability criteria. I was the most senior executive in each of these companies.
The PEC rejected our argument that my experience in these companies was equivalent to that of a CEO running a single company, and took a very narrow interpretation of the requirements without explaining the rationale behind its decision.
This decision has deprived Singaporeans of a wider choice to select who the next President will be.
It is a setback not just for me but for Singapore.
I am saddened, but I am heartened by the support shown to me by many Singaporeans over the past few weeks and I would like to thank all of them for their support.