PPM roadshow attracts hundreds of cars

| 22/05/2017
Cayman News Service

Part of the PPM motorcade

(CNS Election): Close to three hundred cars joined the Progressives’ political motorcade Saturday in a massive show of support for the ruling party on the last weekend before polling day. Possibly the longest ever political roadshow in an election campaign culminated in a rally at Savannah Meadows after winding its way through George Town and Bodden Town. Describing it as the biggest motorcade he had ever seen, Premier Alden McLaughlin told CNS, “I anticipated a good turnout but that exceeded, by far, my expectations.”

During the rally the PPM team targeted the Independents rather than challengers from the opposition CDP. McLaughlin suggested that Dr Steve Tomlinson, who is financially backing a number of candidates, would be the first ever unelected leader of the Cayman Islands if voters elected a mixed group of Independents.

“You ought to be very, very afraid, for not only can they not deliver on anything they promise if they are truly independents… all indications are… they are proposing for this country its first unelected premier. I don’t know any organisation that can operate without a leader,” McLaughlin told the crowd at the event. “Among those who are part of that ‘coalition for chaos’ … who is the leader?”

“It is unconstitutional; it is an affront to democracy for someone who is not contesting an election but supporting and promoting others to take on to themselves the responsibility for leadership of that group. What you are doing if you elect them is electing, by extension, someone who never contested the elections as your leader. He will be accountable to no one,” McLaughlin said, claiming that the PPM was the only group capable of delivering on promises and the only one with a track record.

Although Tomlinson, who is backing around ten Independent candidates, has insisted that he will not be trying to control any of them if they secure seats, a video published on Monday in what he has described as a ‘National Address’, he does appear to be acting as a leader of the group. In the address, he pushes the agenda of independence against the party system in what looks like a political broadcast.

However, in almost every constituency where the PPM is fighting a tight race with an independent candidate, the main challenge is coming from those not backed by Tomlinson, either incumbents or challengers who are not associated with him.

Nevertheless, while some believe there is a surge of support for Independents, the premier maintained that if the PPM only wins a few seats, it is unlikely they will form part of the government because some of the other people running lack integrity. “I am not going to sit around a table with people who are trying to make deals to benefit themselves or… friends.” he said, without identifying any specific candidates.  

Cayman is facing its first election under the system of ‘one man, one vote’ in nineteen single-member constituencies but the make-up of the government could be decided by a just handful of voters in several seats.

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Category: Election News

Comments (19)

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  1. ThIs WrItInG Is VeRy IrRiTaTiNg says:

    I heard they were passing out gas vouchers to everyone that participated. Is that being looked into?

    • Anonymous says:

      Not sure but its a heck of a lot simpler than handing out fridges.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Wa you say over 300 cars. There might been 300 vehicles on the road at the time, but let me tell you the truth from the first police car at the beginning of the parade to the police car at the end of the line of car, there was 76 vehicles including the two trailer trucks crossed that crossed Hurley’s going East in that parade and 5 of them was from West Bay. All other cars following behind seemed very upset about and sure didn’t look to be part of. This I got proof of this because I have the seem on record. But lets wait and see because cars can’t wait.

  3. Unison says:

    Folks, you sure you want to put back in a full PPM government ???! :))

    • Taura Ebanks says:

      Why are they crying down independent law abiding citizens who have conducted themselves with dignity and shown their intelligence by supporting their families and communities… before they ever declared…? I can tell you why… because THEY THE PPM KNOW that independent candidates pose a legitimate and positive threat to their past 4 years of BS! Independent representatives show teamwork, the ability to work beyond their differences, and most importantly, for me… many of the independent candidates show me consistency with their actions matching their words! PPM is just afraid to lose their $100K paychecks…. they should be…. I don’t want their version of representation.

      Furthermore, the PPM MOTORCADE was a total traffic stalling loud honking time consuming delay on Walker’s Rd for me on Saturday…. no wonder people are breaking Traffic Laws… apparently the laws don’t apply to the PPM.

      • Anonymous says:

        Being an independent candidate makes you no better of a candidate than being a PPM candidate makes you a worse candidate. Being an independent loyalist is no more sensible than being a party loyalist.

      • Anonymous says:

        I suppose the Cayman’s and other parades wasn’t a massive traffic blocker too. But some of us can only see what we want to see, I see!!

      • Anonymous says:

        Sorry Torry, you’re just going to have to live with us for four more years. Lucky you.

      • Anonymous says:

        Boosting about their cars is so misleading. They should point out that most of the car had one person and the others were filled up with under age children who cannot vote. Also might I remind them that. The crowd was embarassingky low when you consider that it was an all candidates, all island, all incompassing rally.

      • Anonymous says:

        How does “independent” and “teamwork” coexist? If they are a “team” then by definition they cannot be independent.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes! Yes! a hundred times over and over Yes!

    • Anonymous says:

      By the looks of the motorcade on Saturday we damn sure are, Unison.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Lord help us if CDP or Tomlinson runs the next government. PPM deserves 4 more years. They aren’t perfect, no government is, but hey are by far our best and most honest option.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Unbelievable how many people have nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon.

    Quite how driving around making noise and causing traffic jams is going to get people to vote for you is beyond me

    • Anonymous says:

      Signed, lost koolaid addict.

    • Anonymous says:

      What a joke the ppm is. There was 300 cars on the road. But 200 of them were there because they couldn’t pass. The ppm probably picked that particular time of day because they knew the roads would be busy at that time. Talk about fooling themselves.

      • Anonymous says:

        Sweetie. even considering your gross exaggeration, that STILL leaves 100 cars in the motorcade. That is about 80 more than anything the UDP/CDP ever mustered up. Get a life,dear.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Blind leading the blind.

    • Anonymous says:

      Thank God thery’re not or the country would have been in deep sh*t on Saturday. And for the next four years.