Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced that he will be stepping down on May 15 after serving as the country's leader for two decades. He will be succeeded by his deputy Lawrence Wong, who currently holds the positions of deputy prime minister and finance minister.
Lee, 72, will formally advise the city-state's president to appoint Wong as his successor. Wong, who has the unanimous support of lawmakers in the long-ruling People's Action Party, will be sworn in at the national palace on the same day.
Lee, who has been in office since August 2004, had previously announced his intention to retire this year and had designated Wong as his successor. The transition was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lee emphasized the importance of a smooth leadership transition and urged all Singaporeans to support Wong and his team in creating a brighter future for the country. Wong, 51, played a key role in coordinating Singapore's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The People's Action Party, one of the world's longest-serving political parties, retained its super majority in the 2020 general elections. However, it experienced a slight decline in support, prompting the leadership change.
Wong will become Singapore's fourth leader since the country gained independence in 1965. He is set to lead the nation into the future and is expected to seek his own mandate in the upcoming national elections.
Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, has been credited with transforming the resource-poor city-state into one of the world's wealthiest nations. However, his tenure has also been marked by criticism of the government's tight control, media censorship, and use of oppressive measures against dissidents.
