Photo: AFP/Mark Cheong
Eurasia
16/04/2024 17:01
Lee, 72, will formally advise the city-state’s president to appoint Wong, who is currently deputy prime minister and finance minister, to succeed him, his office said in a brief statement. Wong, who has the unanimous support of lawmakers in the long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), will be sworn in at the national palace later the same day, it said.
Lee has served as prime minister and head of the PAP since August 2004.
Lee announced last November that he would retire this year and has already named Wong as his designated successor. Lee originally planned to step down before turning 70, but those plans were shelved because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“For any country, a leadership transition is a significant moment. Lawrence and the 4G (fourth-generation) team have worked hard to gain the people’s trust, notably during the pandemic,” Lee said in a Facebook post on Monday. “I ask all Singaporeans to give Lawrence and his team your full support, and work with them to create a brighter future for Singapore.”
Lee has said there is no reason to delay the political transition and that passing the baton to Wong before national elections due next year will allow the 51-year-old politician to win his own mandate and take the country forward.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump held a phone call on Friday, according to Chinese state media.
The notion of Central Asia being the "Dutch patient" is a term used to describe a region that has experienced economic challenges yet has shown signs of positive growth. Geographically, Central Asia is a region bordered by the Caspian Sea to the west, China to the east, Afghanistan to the south, and Russia to the north. Comprising five former Soviet republics—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—the region's abundant natural resources and strategic geographic location, as well as its natural beauty and cultural heritage, rapidly transformed it into a major economic bloc by the first quarter of the 21st century.With a population of 82 million, Central Asia has become a dynamic market, attracting growing interest from Europe to Africa.