In the parliamentary system, the power (PM) and the glory (President) are separated. An NDP is a celebration of the state as embodied in the President. Strictly speaking then, the PM should just be a special guest in the NDP whereas the President should take the general salute as the sovereign.
In our case, because our first PM was a limelight seeker, he (and then his 'successors') would also arrive by motorcade and receive general salutes from the formed-up marching contingents.
Last year, it became ridiculous when even the SM and MM arrived in cars and received a general salute as well. It seemed that LKY not only wanted to be de facto paramount leader but also de jure paramount leader. Or it could have been he was too weak to walk all the way down from the back without being helped.
This year though, while SM & MM arrived by car, the marching contingents had not yet formed up to give a general salute. Indeed these formed up only AFTER the arrival of the PM who also did not receive a general salute. Only the President received a general salute.
Have we after 44 years of independence finally understood the roles of a sovereign and his PM at an NDP?
In our case, because our first PM was a limelight seeker, he (and then his 'successors') would also arrive by motorcade and receive general salutes from the formed-up marching contingents.
Last year, it became ridiculous when even the SM and MM arrived in cars and received a general salute as well. It seemed that LKY not only wanted to be de facto paramount leader but also de jure paramount leader. Or it could have been he was too weak to walk all the way down from the back without being helped.
This year though, while SM & MM arrived by car, the marching contingents had not yet formed up to give a general salute. Indeed these formed up only AFTER the arrival of the PM who also did not receive a general salute. Only the President received a general salute.
Have we after 44 years of independence finally understood the roles of a sovereign and his PM at an NDP?
