Prior to the general elections in 2025, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared on Sunday that he will transfer authority to a new generation of leaders.
Prior to becoming 70 years old in 2022, Lee, 71, had intended to relinquish his position and give his deputy, Lawrence Wong, full authority.
However, Lee stated he had to guide Singapore through the coronavirus crisis, so that was postponed.
In a speech to members of his People’s Action Party (PAP) on Sunday, Lee said Wong and his team had “earned their spurs” during the pandemic and “there is no reason to delay the political transition.”
“Therefore, I intend to hand over to DPM Lawrence before the next general election,” Lee said.
“After that, I will be at the new PM’s disposal. I will go wherever he thinks I can be useful. I will do my best to help him and his team to fight and win the next GE,” he said.
Lee, who has been prime minister since 2004, did not say exactly when he would hand over to Wong, 50, the current finance minister.
“If all goes well, I will hand over by the PAP’s 70th birthday next year,” Lee said, referring to the party’s founding anniversary in November 2024.
If Wong takes over, it would be only the second time since Singapore’s independence in 1965 that the prime minister is not a member of the Lee family.
Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Lee Hsien Loong, served as the nation’s first prime minister.
It had been his “great fortune and honor” to serve the country for his whole adult life, a clearly tearful Lee told the partygoers.
The party has undergone “utter transformation, shaped by our many trials and tribulations,” according to Lee.
Still, he insisted that it will stay “dedicated to Singapore” and maintain the island’s “safe and secure” status under the upcoming leadership.
The ruling party has recently been rocked by a number of unusual controversies.
The scandals, which authorities acknowledge have damaged the government’s image of being uncorruptible, included the resignation of two lawmakers from the ruling party over an affair and the investigation of the transport minister for possible corruption.
