The ruling party's de-facto candidate in Singapore's presidential election scraped to victory after a dramatic recount on Sunday and quickly acknowledged that Singaporeans wanted a bigger voice in government.
Three months after the opposition claimed a historic breakthrough in parliamentary polls, former deputy prime minister Tony Tan was elected president with a margin of just 7,269 votes out of 2.1 million ballots cast.
The 71-year-old banker took just over 35 percent of the vote, well below the 60 percent garnered by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in general elections in May, when the party had its worst showing of 52 years in power. At a news conference Sunday, Tan said Singaporeans have become more vocal and this could make governing "a bit more difficult" but he also welcomed the development because it is part of a maturing democracy.
"Singaporeans are more vocal, they want to make their views known," said Tan, who also sought to mend fences with those who did not vote for him.
"I think that's a good thing, we should have a diversity of views in Singapore. It enriches our society, it makes Singapore more vibrant."