Agence France Presse November 22, 2001 SINGAPORE See also: In an interview ahead of the new government's oath-taking, Goh, in power since 1990, linked the succession timetable to economic recovery, and indicated he could stay a bit longer as prime minister if necessary. With Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong already positioned to succeed him, Goh said he will now have to scout around for the post-Lee generation of leaders as part of a "conveyor belt" system of political renewal. The cabinet will be sworn in by President S.R. Nathan on Friday, three weeks after the People's Action Party (PAP) swept 82 of the 84 elected parliamentary seats and boosted its share of the votes cast to 75 percent, from 65 percent in the previous polls held in 1997. In a meeting with visiting AFP President Bertrand Eveno in Singapore ahead of the new cabinet's formation, the 60-year-old Goh reiterated that the November 3 election was his last as prime minister. But he made it clear he would only step down after leading Singapore out of recession, "which would probably take about two to three years". "If it took five years, then I would be around for the next five years," he added. The next elections are due in 2007. Officials and analysts say an economic recovery can only start by the second half of 2002, barring a new catastrophe similar to the terrorist attacks which pushed the US economy, Singapore's largest market, into recession. Goh described his 49-year-old deputy and chosen successor Lee as a "very able, very quick thinking and very logical man" who was once only known as the son of Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, 78. The elder Lee stepped down in 1990 after three decades as prime minister in favor of Goh, and took on the role of senior minister. Goh said now that the junior Lee has spent 17 years in politics, "people have come to realise his merits and to know that he is his own man". Goh did not expect anyone to stand in the way of the young Lee's rise to become the third prime minister of Singapore. He said Lee, who once battled cancer, was now in fine health. Educated in the University of Cambridge in mathematics and computer science, Lee is popularly known as "BG Lee" from his brigadier general days in the armed forces, which he left in 1984 to enter politics. In a clear sign that the succession process is under way, Lee has been given the finance portfolio, in addition to being chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and head of the economic restructuring team formed by Goh right after the election. Asked what role he could play after stepping down as prime minister, Goh, a US-educated economist and former shipping executive, said he did not think he could go back to the private sector after having spent so much time in politics. Goh, who will remain an MP, said he would leave his future political role to his successor, but if asked, he would be ready to serve in an advisory role similar to what the senior Lee is now playing. With the succession plan in place, Goh will now search for a new batch of potential politicians below the 35-year age bracket, from whom the republic's fourth prime minister could emerge. He said Singapore was a small society, making it easy to spot "outstanding young people," but added that some of them were only motivated to make money. The government will not recruit such persons because society also needs successful business people, he said. Goh said he was both "pessimistic and realistic" about the immediate prospects of the economy, which he described as "too dependent on external trade," but he believed there was still potential in manufacturing, including the badly-hit electronics sector. These industries should move upscale but the government is trying to avoid a "dramatic change" in order to assure employment for local workers in the short term. While he was confident that the economy would grow in the next three to four years, a fresh terrorist attack could cause new disruptions and results in "humps" of economic growth. Singapore is concentrating on restructuring its economy to meet long-term competition from China, Goh said. "Our economic and political structures are sound," he said, adding that now that the elections are over, Singapore can undertake "tough measures" to overhaul the economy. |
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