S.R. Nathan will return unopposed to a second six-year term as Singapore's president after a government-appointed elections panel disqualified an independent candidate, dashing hopes for the city-state's first open presidential election since 1993.

The possibility of an open presidential election was raised when Andrew Kuan, a local businessmen, recently said he planned to stand against Mr Nathan, 81, a former intelligence chief and diplomat who had been endorsed by the government.