Singapore gets new president after cliffhanger poll

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Former deputy prime minister Tony Tan secured victory after a recount in Singapore's presidential election on Sunday, the razor-thin winning margin exposing sharp divisions in the electorate.

The 71-year-old banker, seen as a proxy for the ruling party, won by just 7,269 votes over his closest challenger out of 2.1 million valid votes cast in Saturday's four-way race to become head of state.

Tan got 744,397 votes, 35 percent of the total, well below the 60 percent garnered by the People's Action Party (PAP) in general elections held in May, its worst showing after 52 years in power.

Analysts said Tan could have lost in a straight one-on-one fight, and he immediately reached out to voters who rejected him.

"The president is a president for all Singaporeans, not only for those who have voted for me but even for those who have not voted for me. I pledge to work for each and everyone of you," he said after his victory was announced.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong appealed for national unity after an intense campaign dominated by calls from government critics for a politically independent president who can act as a check on the PAP.

"Now that the election is over, we should all come together again as Singaporeans, to tackle the challenges that Singapore faces, and take our nation forward," Lee said.

The president has veto powers over key government appointments and safeguards Singapore's foreign reserves, which now total around $250 billion.

Singapore, a former British colony, follows a Westminster-style parliamentary system. It set up the presidency in 1965 when it became a republic after being ejected from the Malaysian federation.

Until Saturday's vote, there was limited political interest in the presidency, which was widely seen as a ceremonial job involving state visits, charity fundraisers and playing the starring role in the National Day Parade every August 9.

But emotions were still running high three-and-a-half months after the May general election, especially in social media and political websites that now set the tone for the national political debate.