PE2023: Will Polling Day fall on Sept 2?

With several presidential hopefuls walking the ground in the lead-up to the Presidential Election, one question on everyone's lips will have to be — when will Polling Day be held?

According to Lianhe Zaobao, signs are pointing to Sept 2 as the likely date for Singaporeans to cast their votes.

The Chinese daily noted that on two consecutive days (July 31 and Aug 1), the government's e-procurement portal GeBiz has invited companies to provide quotations for tentages and food supplies for an event on Sept 14 at the Istana.

Analysts interviewed by Zaobao speculate that the large-scale ceremony could be the swearing-in ceremony for the president elect. And by their calculations, Polling Day would therefore likely fall on Sept 2.

Zaobao stated that based on the tender documents released on Monday (July 31) for the "supply and set up of tentages for ceremonial event", there would rehearsals held from Sept 12 at the Istana, with the official ceremony falling on Sept 14.

The requirements for the event included a "wide dome or A-shaped tent" measuring 40 ft wide and 90 ft in length, as well as 300 white plastic chairs, 20 foldable tables and other equipment, Zaobao reported.

On Aug 1, the website also listed an "invitation to quote for the provision of catering services".

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According to Zaobao, successful bidders would have to supply buffet catering on Sept 13 and 14 for about 300 guests.

When contacted by a reporter from the Chinese daliy, Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior analyst at think tank and consulting firm Solaris Strategies, was quoted as saying that "it is difficult not to make inferences based on the coincidence of the dates".

He added that "it's likely that the ceremony is related to the handover of the presidency… because the authorities would need to make preparations, including security and other matters."

Zaobao stated that they had requested for confirmation on the matter from the Prime Minister's Office but had yet to receive a reply as of publication on Tuesday.

By law, the next presidential election will have to be called by Sept 13, which is when President Halimah Yacob's six-year term ends.

And with slightly over a month to go, one political scientist from Nanyang Technological University told Zaobao that the polling day should come sooner rather than later.

"The longer the wait, the higher the anticipation levels, and more qualified candidates who want to run may emerge," he stated.

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candicecai@asiaone.com