Only one candidate qualifies in Singapore presidential race

Singapore is likely to have its first female president, with only one candidate qualifying for an election limited to members of the minority Malay community.
The Elections Department said today that former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob was the only one of five hopefuls who qualified.
It said the others had not satisfied stringent criteria, such as having held key public positions or running a company with at least 500 million Singapore dollars (USD 370 million) in equity.
Yacob, a former member of the ruling People's Action Party, entered politics in 2001. She won four parliamentary elections before being chosen speaker. She resigned from the party last month.

Yacob is expected to be named Singapore's eighth president on Wednesday without a vote. She is to take office at a later date.