Singapore holds presidential election

Singapore’s 9th presidential election will be held today, Report informs, citing foreign media.

Singaporeans head to the polls Friday in the city-state’s first contested presidential election in more than a decade, a vote being closely watched as an indication of support for the ruling party after a rare spate of political scandals.

The three-way race between front-runner Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Tan Kin Lian and Ng Kok Song, has been dominated by debates over the president’s ability to serve as an independent check on the national government.

Voting is compulsory for Singapore’s more than 2.7 million eligible citizens. Those who do not vote without a valid reason risk being struck from the voter list.