I support Mr Clinton Lim Eng Hiong's views ("Fine-tune presidential election process"; Nov 13).

The current "first past the post" system allows the winner of the election to be president even without a majority of the votes.

Because an elected president is given more power - such as being the custodian of state reserves and institutions - it is essential for the person to command a winning majority.

The current system may also encourage tactical voting, wherein voters have an incentive to vote for the one or two candidates they predict are most likely to win, even if they do not want either to win.

Voters may also believe that candidates who receive the most media attention will probably be the most popular and likely to win.

To strengthen the legitimacy of the elected president, there should be a second-round run-off election between the top candidate and the runner-up in a one-on-one contest.

This will help avoid creating a political divide among Singaporeans.

Francis Cheng