Mac confident he can beat challengers

| 29/03/2017
Cayman News Service

CDP West Bay candidates McKeeva Bush (front) and behind him (L-R) Bernie Bush, Eugene Ebanks and John Jefferson Jr

(CNS Elections): After he went through the official nomination process Wednesday morning, Cayman Democratic Party Leader McKeeva Bush said he was confident that he would win the district of West Bay West. Bush was the first candidate to appear at the library in his constituency before noon but two other long-term vocal opponents of Bush were expected to arrive before the 3pm deadline. Bush described them as minor candidates and said he would win the seat.

Speaking to the press, he accepted that the first-past-the-post race could change things but said it would not alter the WBW result because he was going to win.

However, the current opposition leader seemed less confident that his party would win a majority and would not be drawn into predicting a CDP government being returned on 25 May. He said that he was not going to say that he would win government until every vote was counted.

Bush said he was fielding a strong experienced team, even though the CDP does not have a candidate running in all 19 districts. With the last minute addition of Pearlina McGaw Lumsden to the CDP platform, she will now be running for George Town North. Tessa Bodden, who was originally slated to be the CDP candidate for GTN, now plans to contest George Town East for the party.

Bush said it was up to the people who they returned and he would work with any other independents, naming Anthony Eden and others running in his group as potential allies. He also gave another nod to Kenneth Bryan, predicting that he will beat Premier Alden McLaughlin in what is still likely to be a head-to-head race for George Town Central.

“The premier is easily beat,” he said. “He is weak, weak, weak,” Bush added.

The CDP leader criticised the current government saying that they “deserve to be kicked out”.

Bush said the immigration situation “stinks” and education was “in a mess”. He maintained that crime was running rampant and that the real facts about that were being withheld. Any upswing in the economy had not trickled down to the people who were suffering and some had lost their homes, he said.

“Caymanians are feeling lost,” he claimed, adding that the CDP would be unveiling its policies to help them at its forthcoming conference.

Bush said that after all of the West Bay team have been nominated, they will be getting on the campaign trail and talking about the important issues with voters. But he said he had no concerns about any of the people running in West Bay as he said the others were all “minor candidates and I feel good about my team mates”.

Tags: , ,

Category: Candidates, Political parties

Comments (18)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    The photos of this group remind me of the opening scene of The Resevoir Dogs. They just need “Little Green Bag” as their theme tune.

    • Tell de Truth says:

      Oh how cocky some have become. To call people who are exercising their right and freedom to participate as a candidate a minor is nothing short of crude and dishonorable and despicable.

      For a person who has had the privilege of being selected to represent so many times to belittle others shows what happens when you are elected too long and for the wrong reasons it may be added.

      To the newcomers in West bay and indeed island wide step high stand strong you are the future of our country your brains are not tired your hands and hearts are not tainted. You will be pressured but realize that you are being Tested not only by the constituents you want to represent but by the entiteCayman Islands. Congratulations and stand strong in the face of those who have and will belittle you for their own sake.

  2. Anonymous says:

    You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
    Know when to fold ’em
    Know when to walk away
    And know when to run

    You never count your money
    When you’re using the government credit card
    There’ll be time enough for countin’
    When the dealin’s done.

  3. DrunkenMaster says:

    Still wondering if the government purse will be reimbursed the $6M owed to the people with the ritz Carlton fiasco? You are for the people, which ones?

  4. Anonymous says:

    The UDP just put forward the worse set of candidates in its short and horrible history. These are not even fries …maybe Big Credit card and bad debts.

  5. Anon says:

    Rivers and Orrett over Mac anyday!!!!!

  6. Anonymous says:

    His election is a given, and why wouldn’t he stand. Another four years on a fat salary – doesn’t have to anything – beats the hell out working for a living.

  7. Anonymous says:

    I saw on FB where the outspoken activist was discussing the education of the nominees. I found it so hilarious as she is a Mac supporter and he dropped out of school at 13!
    But he talks the talk. He may not understand everything but he does the talk.
    Staying in school does a lot more than edumacate a person. It also teaches you about life, getting along with others, learning to tolerate others, being part of a team, etc. I could go on and on. But Mac is full of colloquial name calling, which he learned in the school yard and once he left his mental and emotional growth was stunted) and bullying and throwing others money around to get his way.
    He was the reason I got naturalized for the last election. So that I could wote for anyone but him.

  8. Unison says:

    See … like I said … this single member constutuency system, will have Bush right back in power :))

    • Caymanian says:

      Bush was getting anyway you spin it….NOW…can he get a majority of the seats….I HIGHLY HIGHLY doubt he will beat PPM in seats…..What we really have at stake is the Independents and which side will they run to…We know for instance Chris Saunders and Mario Rankine will run CDP before the ink dries and that’s why we need these people not in….

      But this is no guarantee Bush will gain majority….

      PPM will get around 6 to 8 seats…

      Alden, Marco, Osbourne, Moses, Juliana, Wayne, Lucille, Joey, Roy with Tara who will side with PPM…..A couple of these are close races…Wayne against Alva and Osbourne against John John…..

      CDP will get Mac, Bernie, Eugene and Mike….past that its hard to say….

      Independents will get Arden, Ezzard (fight to the death with Ed Chislom), Anthony, Gilbert

      GTW is a toss up…..Jonathan vs Ellio vs David Wight big PPMer supporter and very well known. David could slip in the back door with possible Jonathan and Ellio splitting what would be the CDP vote as some of Ellio supporters could be CDP people…

      This is going to be an interesting elections for sure…

  9. Anonymous says:

    Is there anyone else (with a pulse) running in West Bay West? Nominations close in 30 minutes!

  10. Anonymous says:

    He has been in the LA for so many years and has not fixed any of the country’s problems yet.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Bush said the immigration situation “stinks” and education was “in a mess”. He maintained that crime was running rampant and that the real facts about that were being withheld. Any upswing in the economy had not trickled down to the people who were suffering and some had lost their homes. Mac is perfectly correct in this statement. Problem is that he caused most of the problems to start with.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Crime running rampant in his constituency, and a leader without morals who counts getting caught using government money to fund a gambling problem and getting off the charge on a legal technicality as a “victory” and “vindication” of his “fowever clean hands”. No moral compass at all. I wish the other candidates well and don’t be cowed by this bully.

    • Anonymous says:

      What I see happening is…….

    • Anonymous says:

      McKeeva has created a welfare dependency in West Bay which fuels lack of ambition among the people and when people are idle they find mischief to do.

      • Caymanian says:

        Yup. Best description I have heard of it. I thought it funny when he made moves that caused many businesses to close up then went and asked the people to come to a rally for him at Public Beach so he could help them get jobs…..and they came…..and if you missed it….it was him who caused to their jobs to be lost to begin with….It was funny as hell…..