Premier laments near election miss
Premier Alden McLaughlin outside the LA,
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin pointed out that the PPM was a hair’s breadth away from having a majority government, as he spoke about the election result in his address following the Swearing-in Ceremony Wednesday. He said things “could have been very different”, but that was how things were in a democracy. The margin between this coalition government and a PPM majority was just 50 votes. He pointed out that Wayne Panton lost his seat in the Newlands fight by 15 votes in the narrowest of margins across all of the results, and Marco Archer in the George Town Central battle lost by just 35 votes.
Paying tribute to all three PPM ministers who lost their seats in the poll (Panton, Archer and Osbourne Bodden), he thanked them and hoped their influence would remain even though they were not in the Legislative Assembly.
McLaughlin has been sworn in as premier to lead what has been dubbed a government of ‘National Unity'[, which includes CDP members and Independents, but is still dominated by the Progressives. Now leading a much wider coalition than in the previous administration, the premier said everyone would have a say and he hoped to have a policy direction for the government before the end of July, as he conceded there would be changes in the way common concerns were addressed.
Despite speculation about possible last-minute twists, literally at the doors of the parliament, the swearing-in process held few surprises apart from Ezzard Miller being appointed opposition leader. But when he gave his address, McLaughlin told the crowd outside the LA that his opposite number had agreed the election battle was now over and it was time to move the country forward.
McLaughlin said the formation of the new government was not about settling old scores but “staying together for a common purpose”, as he pointed to the “common ground” between the people who had been elected, maintaining that any differences related to style rather than substance.
The premier pointed to insight that he had gained after managing a coalition during the last administration, and said the outlook had to be one of cooperation. He warned that it would “not all be smooth sailing” but he hoped that where there were policy gaps over traditional differences, future discussions would, in the end, lead to better decisions.
Check back to CNS later for more on McLaughlin’s first public address for the new administration, as he begins his second term as Cayman’s political leader.
Category: Politics
Yes, thanks for that observation, Alden. Most interesting. And I’m sure were your party to have won by the same margin you would have been the first to have pointed it out. Give it up, man. You’re not as smart as you think and the public isn’t as idiotic as you clearly continue to believe they are. You retained the premiership by the skin of your teeth. Just be thankful!
I too am lamenting that we have another four years of arrogant self serving leadership. Four years more of bickering and nothing getting done.
could’t agree more. I hope they have understood the tragedy of loosing Marco Archer. PPM threw him to the wolves and why? selfishness!!
Alden should be lamenting the loss of Marco Archer……………….which was the result of pure selfishness on Alden’s part.
The world on the street is he threw himself to the wolves because he was so confident that he would beat Kenneth!
Oh well … risky business.
I agree with some of the views about the Premier — he would do well to listen to some of these comments relating to his people view him. He goes tend to have a little big of an arrogant. Aloof air, although I wonder how much of that is a cover for some lack of confidence.
But having said that, we are lucky to have his leadership. I sleep better at night knowing we have someone of his calibre holding things together.
His calibre? What has he done for HIS PEOPLE??? NOTHING!
Blimey, I’m not exactly thrilled at the outcome myself, but what you paint appears straight out of the pages of Dickens’s “Bleak House”. I’d advise you to wait and see how things unfold, friend. You never know!
Food for thought – BTE – there were 677 voters out of 1,125 that did NOT vote for Joke Joke. So in essence there are more disgruntled voters than satisfied. Similarly, BTW – even worst – 710 persons did NOT vote for Humpty, out of 1,090 voters – essentially 65% of the BTW are currently dissatisfied with the selection for their constituency. WAW!!! How is that for Finance Humpty!!
That’s why they should of came out to the polls and VOTED, now they will have to live with this madness for 4 years. We all have have to do our part and if not this is what happens:-(
If this we’re a communist government then this mess wouldn’t happen.
We should change it so that if there isn’t a member that receives more than 50% of the votes the two front runners stand for a runoff election. That way every constituency would have a representative that had a majority of the vote.
That way if your candidate doesn’t win the first round you get to pick the least bad choice in the final vote.
Fix the dump or none of you from this coalition government should be re elected! Time to hold them accountable,
May 24 was the time to hold them accountable, and that didn’t go so well. He can now ignore you for another 4 years, after which the electorate will no doubt fail to hold anyone accountable again.
nope – now it’s time to be up in their faces. Clearly you can’t rely on the once in every 4 year “tell you want you want to hear so I can get in” rhetoric. It’s a crazy man that bangs his head into a wall and wonders why it hurts.
Time for us to stop talking and posting and time to start acting. It is also not sufficient to just leave them alone to come up with solutions, if someone has a viable solution/suggestion we should be bringing it to the table. If we believe the good chip Cayman is worth saving then stop watching while others bail out the water and grab a bucket!
Leave Ossie out of this conversation, he is where he should have been when he built the gas station, managing the gas station.
11:54am, just so you have the facts. Osbourne Bodden didn’t build a gas station, he inherited his family’s business which dates back from the early 1900’s. The first gas station built on that site was set up in the early 1950’s , before that time, kerosine oil and gas was siphoned off and made available fir sale in containers. Isn’t it great to inherit? I would like to be an millionaire too.
I was just referring to that he Ossie shouldn’t have been in Government at all, and that he should have been managing the gas station from the time he took it over, then Bodden town and the People would be a better off district .
Tell me what else he did for the Islands or BT, except the gas station he inherited .
Not just fix the damp, move the disgrace to a suitable place like north of Bodden Town as originally planned.And allow the present site to be developed. Use you heads gentlemen this is in “prime” George Town not some back bush.
Alden is a joke, another 4 years of his leadership will hurt.
With the new independents on board there are record breaking depths of mediocrity into which he can sink.
If PPM handed out envelopes to voters like some of the others did they wouldn’t have lost those seats.
7:27am, or if the PPM had opened an restaurant the day of election, provding breakfast, dinner an supper for all, they would’ve scored higher I guess. Cash and food goes a long way for some. What’s the menu?
Now that’s not quite accurate! PPM handed them out BEFORE election day! Still didn’t help them much.
POW POW! Shoots fired.
While the the Premier was lamenting he said the PPM Party was a hair’s breath away from having the majority. I hope that he realizes what and who caused that, and who caused the Party and the Islands to loose the two most honest and valuable men in Government Archer and Panton, and that he and the Islands could loose alot more in the next election if the DR T gets smarter and better organized.
I don’t think that Alden or the Caymanians would be happy or settled with having a DR T Government running the Cayman islands.
That’s what could happen if the Election Laws and Rules are not reformed smarter and more intelligently done.
If no candidate gets a full majority on the vote, hold a runoff of the two top candidates. All candidates that win would then have a majority. In that kind of system it is pretty certain that there would be less conflict over who ends up with the seat.
I don’t think that Alden understands the reason for the near miss and the significant role he played in the whole fiasco.
He definitely was out of touch with the people and dismissed or ignored any criticisms from them…he only really cared about what self-interested foreign parties had to say. Any loss by PPM in this election was directly attributable to him and Marco’s arrogance…unlucky for Marco he wasn’t running against Dr Mcfield.
Joke, Joke is not to be trusted! He’s aligned himself with Kenny & the wannabe Puppet Master! Video on Kenneth Bryans Facebook page shows his allegiance to these two when the GTC votes were announced on election night. Alden keep “your eyes wide open” with Joke-Joke as a minister & Mac as speaker the undermining will begin!
Certainly Ministers Panton and Archer are very significant losses. Ozbourne Bodden…not!..He is a Bully!
As is his replacement. I think they accurately represent their district.
Disagree. JonJon is not a bully. Please stop painting others with Ozzie’s cow-cod!
“Security, you naw see nuttin.”
He is not a bully at all. Just another one with “clean hands and a pure heart”.
Yeah, its not as if he didn’t get one of his friends to try and help him beat up a man…oh, wait…
Show continues….rightfully so…because they sold out to the colony.
Can’t believe Bernie won again. Next time without Mac support he will be gone.
It is public record that the CDP/UDP greased all the seniors with 800 Turkeys and 800 bags of groceries – as they’ve been doing for the last four Decembers. 800 x $25 = $20,000 x 4 = $80,000 in Frozen Turkeys alone. There were no district PPM or Independents glad-handing this crowd, their invitations were lost in the mail I suppose.
Ossie cost PPM their majority victory. He most definitely impacted his PPM Bodden Town colleagues. Heather and Maxine both were excellent prospects. Hopefully they will remain engaged in their communities for future consideration.
Ossie’s impact even indirectly affected Marco, as Marco attempted to use Ossie’s disrespectful and bullying tactics on constituents.
As well as thanking Ossie for his past service, Alden should privately chide him for his unprofessional behaviour while in office and it’s ultimate impact on the PPM in the recent elections!
Engaged??? Maxing was anything but engaged which cost her many votes. Heather came across as a misandrists and at a time when our young men and boys are falling behind the country can’t afford to have someone like her in charge of public policy.
Anytime you have to step on those expat toes you are the worse person in the world. If you play/act stupid they will walk all over you, that why Caymanians are kicked to the curve in most of the work places. You have to take a stand and put them in their places. No excuse for keeping them in line.
Ezzard Miller – leader of the Opposition. I think of no better of choice.
Maybe now, he thinks beyond “self” and form a new party to oppose the PPM …
Because I don’t see CDP enlarging their tent, seeing McKeeva Bush is resigning. And to be honest, I don’t see Bernie Bush or Captain Eugene being a party leader.
Captain Who-gene?
Well done mr Alden,
Can we have just a small wing for the prison please?
Please work together for betterment of the islands guys? Bracka.
Well said – you have to wonder about the independents that refused to work with this government and how they plan to achieve anything for their constituencies from the back bench. So much for political promises.
Which one refused to work withvthecPPM? Enquiring minds want to know
hmmmm do you think John John would have been their first choice? Can’t blame them for not picking Kenneth with all the bad blood, I heard the way he used to “report” on Rooster. Basically bashed the Premier – which I’m not saying he didn’t need at times, but it was obvious it wasn’t from a place of reporting or constructive criticism, he was being bitter, which cost him that job.