Official opposition and Bryan part ways
(CNS): The opposition leader who has said he wants the group of independents he is leading to form a cohesive alternative to government will no longer caucus with Kenneth Bryan as he told CNS that he does not believe the George Town MLA is “a good fit” with the official opposition. Ezzard Miller has been pursuing the goal of a cohesive opposition that he believes should look like a government in waiting but he said that Bryan is not in full alignment with the other five members and he has asked him to leave the group.
Hints that all was not well emerged when Bryan opted to team up with a member of the government to steer through one of his private member’s motions and when he made statements contradicting the calls from Miller and the rest of the opposition membership for McKeeva Bush to step aside from the Speaker’s job after his recent arrest in Florida.
Bryan, who represents George Town Central, rejected claims by Miller that he was being pushed out of the group because he was not a good fit and said he thought it was connected to him not supporting the call for Bush to resign as he believed it was not a good idea to destabilise the government before anyone knew the outcome.
Bryan told CNS that when it came to discussions of policy with his opposition colleagues he did not see any controversies and he had largely been in support of the policy discussions they have had.
“What does Mr Miller really mean when he says I am not a good fit?” Bryan asked. “So far I have been in support of the policies we have discussed. But if he means that I am not going to go along with everything or follow suit, as that is not how I intend to represent the people of George Town Central, then perhaps I’m not a good fit as he says. But I will support the things that I think are right. I am an independent thinker and I believe Mr Miller has taken this position because I did not support the opposition call for the Speaker’s resignation before we had all of the information.”
While all of the opposition members ran on an independent ticket during the May General Election campaign, since taking up the role of opposition leader Miller has been keen to form a cohesive opposition team that can respond to government. He allocated roles as spokesmen for the team with the exception of Anthony Eden who will not shadow any government ministers. Following Miller’s decision to kick Bryan from the official opposition group, he said that he would take up the job as shadow spokesperson for health.
Meanwhile, Bryan will be free to support what or who he wants. However, he will still need the support of at least one person on the opposition benches to steer through his private member’s motions (PMMs) unless he can persuade members of the government backbenches, as he did on his motion on government-sponsored housing, to back further PMMs.
Category: Local News, Politics
If I voted in Central GT there is no question I would have voted for Mr. Archer. A better statesman, leader and a finer gentleman I have not met. But it would have been a disappointment for me, because I would have loved voting for the young leader, Kenneth Bryan. He is clearly the future of the Cayman Islands who represents something very special – learning from your mistakes and making something of yourself.
It is really disappointing to read all the negatives in this forum for the young Kenneth Bryan, who is doing a wonderful job representing his constituency and showing class and style in the process.
But this is an unfortunate by-product of the information and communications revolution – we get to hear a large share of negativity.
I hope Cayman has not seen the last of Marco Archer in leadership and I wish Kenneth Bryan every success.
The irony in all of this is; Kenneth was correct to hold off on joining the call for McKeeva’s resignation – as we see all charges against him were dropped by the Florida authorities.
I trust those of you now vilifying him (Kenneth) understand that you are on the wrong side on this occasion.
As I mentioned to someone earlier today, in light of the above, the onus is actually on Ezzard (and maybe the rest of the opposition) to see the light, bury the hatchet, and get on with the job.
Otherwise, we are left with a situation that is truly politics by any means necessary … even if it means penalising one for taking the right course of action.
Wouldn’t be the first time though – in Cayman or elsewhere.
– Who
*Btw, could we please stop behaving as if what occurs in our local politics is any different from the USA, UK, etc?
There are no better examples of “banana republic” politics than what exists in the greatest democracies of today.
(I invite any and all challenges to that claim though. Rest assured, that is a battle you will not win.)
Mac’s charges being dropped did no mean Kenneth was right. The very reason Mac was charged was sufficient to call for his resignation.
Kenneth was just kissing backside to protect his political future.
Calling for resignation from the MLA seat that Mr. Bush won is and was over the line, he is afforded the same presumption of innocence as anyone else accused of a crime. At the same time the Speaker is one of the main components of the LA and it is imperative that the speaker is publicly untarnished and honorable as the title implies. Asking Mr. Bush to vacate the speaker position temporarily pending the outcome of the proceedings was more than generous and should have been a no-brainer. it is clear that the current majority party and their “Unity Government” don’t care about ethics or principles but care only about remaining in power with a strong majority. The message that this inaction sent to our people is disturbing. Not even one singular response from the government condemning his shameful public behavior. Also shouldn’t Mr Bush have here on Cayman Planning and debating with the new coalition government?
McKeeva was not even charged with an offence.
If an accusation is all required to demand our representatives vacate their democratically awarded seats then we are in big trouble.
Moreso when the accuser can be any Florida casino employee of this one’s calibre.
Just saying …
– Who
Really an arrest doesn’t warrant a vacation of the speaker position until the issue is resolved then what does?
Enjoy your OMOV, Now complete unaccomplished morons can win elections with 400 votes in GT and implement ghetto politics in your neighborhood as predicted.
Great Job!
To be fair to Mr Bryan, he got twice as many votes and a bigger majority than Mr Miller (who is equally happy to play the demagogue). But don’t despair, even the sitting government is incapable of actually delivering results for its constituents – think both Mr Miller and Mr Bryan are going to find they have little more to offer their followers than fruitless private members motions and oratory. Ghetto politics only works when you can deliver for your base.
Doesnt fit in alright – only one of them with a BMI of less than 30.
Elio also had a BMI of less than 30 before he started taking trips with Big Mac and making government pay for all of his meals.
The idea of a shadow government stems from the understanding that Cayman cannot afford to finance a team of legislators just for the sake of aposing the government. That all elected members should function as positive contributors to any debate and decision. Consultants in an elected master mind group, where no idea is shelved because of affiliation but on the scrutiny of a democratic process. With, Cayman good and interest the driving force. Be it the interest of Cayman, everyone can be heard. Teamwork, now maybe we will reduce the need for so many high paid consultants.. And now is not the time for any member to be on required leave.
Ezzard is a dinosaur politician who doesn’t deal with independent thought or contrary opinions well, cut from the same cloth as McKeeva.
Rubbish! McKeeva Bush and Ezzard Miller are like oil and water!
Very different people. Ezzard for one, does not have a drinking problem or gambling problem. So please stop talking BS!
Judging another person’s sins still doesn’t make Ezzard a saint. Both McKeeva, Ezzard and even Alden at times prefer “Yes men” instead of independent thinkers.That’s we’ve had the same problems for so long and no differing solutions being offered. Do as we’ve always done and keep going around in circles.
Okay now gentlemen. Let us not go down that same old road of division and stubborn political holdouts.
In the end, the only people that suffer are those you claim to collectively represent.
Put ego aside and see the bigger picture. Everyone was elected on their individual merits and convictions respective to their constituency.
If the opposition falls apart then we are truly right back to where we were on May 16, 2017.
Hopefully one of you will be the bigger person this morning, pick up the phone and arrange a meeting to discuss.
– Who
Exactly, but it goes much deeper. This entire fiasco goes back to Big Mac and little Mac. Everyone knows that Kenneth was with Big Mac even though he was and still hoping that little Mac would reconcile with him and bring him into the fold. Big Mac was and is working hard to make that happen to the chargin of little Mac. Little Mac knows that Big Mac is holding his government together so instead to saying no to Big Mac he is sending mixed messages and in the meantime Big Mac and little Mac are pulling the strings and Kenneth is the marionette dancer. He wants to freedance while waiting and hoping. If it wasn’t so serious it would be a comedy show. Imagine with all the spouting from the mouth by little Mac about Big Mac they are now playing a game of cat and mouse while Kenneth go on dancing.
Good Job Kenny, stand for what you believe in!
What would that be ? Macs innocence ?
Not even 5 months you all have been elected to represent the people of the Cayman Islands and look on the disarray! There’s an old adage ‘ a house divided must fall’ get your acts together for the good and love of country! You were all duly elected by the people get to work. Cayman has a lot of social issues , unemployment, increase in crime, now is not the time to start creating division. Stop worry about gays , take a look around your constituency see the suffering and homeless people. Children returning back to school this week offer help to the parents who cant afford to send them back. Remember we were classified as the jewel of the Caribbean try to bring back that prestige instead being class a 3rd world island. Device measures to combat crime, get the youths a vocational school instead of riding around on dirt bikes to disrupt tourists and local lives and to rob and steal. Wake up and smell the roses!
Our island started digging when a young man from north side, who hold at the time a pharmacy tech diploma became our heath minister. It seem like we forget all to easy with the history of Mr. Bush and Mr. Miller.
I advice you all to check your history books, I think the right term is “lest we forget” while I don’t support Mr. Bush and his antics for season political ” less we forget ” millions spend send us in dyer need as fininacal jurisdiction.. it’s sad that North side can’t find anyone else to send, and while I’m sure Mr. Miller as learned from that expensive ” lest we forget” Wether Mr. Bryan is right or wrong is important for others to know the history of the (2 )season politican.
May God continue to bless the cayman islands… we have been through a lot.
And to you all peace be with you
So true, its funny how Sainthood is given to those that believe they carry the Holy Torch. If you really knew the history of both, only one word comes to mind, SILENCE
I tried to work with Kenneth on his campaign and often found that he was dismissive, hard headed and very hard to reason with. He very often got things wrong but refused to listen to my points or even acknowledge that he could possibly not understand the issue. I promptly withdrew from trying to assist him and left him to his committee. I have heard similar stories from within the PPM camp and its sad that so many people believed in him and voted for him only to now realize he is no more than another Bush disciple. Anyone with two brain cells would know that it was the right thing to ask Bush to step down until his name was cleared, that is standard throughout the world in politics so why should he be treated any differently? Just because Bush and Alden have entered into this sham of a marriage does not mean we all need to dance at the reception. We know they both detest each other and are motivated by something other than pure loyalty to their people. If Kenneth cannot see that then he is just as bad and dangerous. Perhaps he needs to go join the Government bench now. What a waste of a good seat in the LA.
Sounds like a small town Donald Trump.
Shut it Crooked Hillary!
LOL!
He won, therefore he was successful, therefore his plan worked. He was right. Maybe he looked at you and concluded that if you knew what you were talking about you would be the representative?
Why don’t you all not simply leave the young man alone, give him your best advice and best wishes?
Clearly you did not wish him well, as you would not be putting him down now in public.
My advice for you Mr. Bryan; no one kicks a dead horse. The fact that so many crabs are choosing to focus their attention on you means that you are at the top of the crab heap. Stay there by ignoring the ones trying to pull you down and working with those who actually mean you well. They will be obvious, because they will not be trying top put you down simply because you have an opinion of your own – OWC leadership.
11:57. You also described Marco. What exactly did Marco achieve?
I give praise to Kenneth for standing up for what he believes is the right thing. He is not letting anyone push him around and tell him what to do.
He also has a great attitude about it as well.
Hear! Hear!
The idiot GT voters put in a criminal Cayman Obummer because they see him as giving them hand outs. The liberals all over the world have gone Communist. Communism is great until you run out of other people’s money. Why did McKeeva ever give out a zillion freebies and free citizenships? He figured that these lambs will always vote for him and yea it has worked. Caymanians had better wake up and work to take back your country. You wont have your freedom if you have these bufoons running your show. They plan to do nothing about your crime, overcrowding, sewage, garbage and healthcare chaos that you all have!!! Wake up sleepers!!!
Take back your country …..from the Jamaicans who were given it by Mac.
Dear Lord, its Foolio and “Dr” Frank all over again.
Marco is finished in GTC is arrogance was his downfall. He just couldn’t connect with the people. His selfish ways almost cost the entire ppm the election. I hope the Premier wakes up.
Anyone who refers to Marco as arrogant obviously has never met the man. One of the humblest individuals I have ever met.
Stop and think 6:44pm. What you are doing is “labeling” a successful, educated and intelligent Caymanian. Is it a bad thing for Caymanians to achieve! I assume by your post you are a GTC voting Caymanian. Do you even see the irony in your own comments.
These fools fail to see Marco doesn’t need a government job, BUT the government NEEDS Marco!
Crabs in a bucket, the Caymanian way!
I am not the original poster, but I do know Marco and I have also worked with him. I can categorically say that he is arrogant.
I also worked with him for years and can categorically state that he is not.
He may be. He is also going to be the smartest man in the room if he walked into the LA. Unfortunately intellect and talent doesnt count with all voters, and he wasn’t street smart enough to avoid getting sidelined into a GT Central run off against a man with a lot more street appeal. Shame for the country – political expediency for the Premier at the cost of all of us.
Smartest man in the room ? There are people in there with far more qualifications than Marco
Maybe Marco has several personalities!
A good politician can survive on his own in this 19 member coalition government!
But with Gov’t having 13 members…could be a lonely voice in the wilderness.
The idiots of GTC basically has a lame duck in the water. Government don’t want him…. opposition don’t want him and rest of Cayman don’t want him. Marco Archer needs to just form his 2021 election team from now. Kenneth don’t run again and enjoy the pension and free healthcare. Dr T worst investment you could had ever made.
CaymanKind, calling your own people idiots, when under Marco, the banks were selling off your houses.
Banks aren’t “selling off your houses”. Dramatic much? If people pay their mortgages, the banks leave them in peace. Too many people had eyes bigger than their wallet and got in over their heads.
More worse than the people who didn’t get enough votes to get in? Wow, obviously you know nothing about investing.
I’m very disappointed in this kind of language towards Kenneth. It’s safe to say that you and I don’t have any idea what goes on behind closed doors.
I find we as a people are quick to criticize, how about you go and run for office? It seem like the pension and free health care is attracting you.. if you don’t have anything good to say, then don’t listen and watch. You will have the chance in just under 4 years to amend the right or wrong you did.. that is even if your registered voter.
People like you fi go waaay. ..
Viper
I love how “Viper”, you feel entitled enough to tell voters if they don’t like what’s going they should “don’t listen and watch” and “go waaay”. Firstly people have every right to public state their opinions as you and as the other people on this website do, and secondly the whole “vote or shut up” campaign that was run just prior to the election by what appeared to be a government agency or group associated with the government was just about the least democratic thing I have seen in my years on this earth. The democratic process is a 4 year cycle we can discuss and debate for the entire 4 years not just the 2 months leading up to the election, I have no qualms with Mr. Bryan, thoug he seems to be a very divisive character, which isn’t really a positive quality in our system of Government where you need at least one other person to second Private Member Motions and other actions and where you need 10 votes to get anything passed. If he really wants to get anything done for his constituencies he either has to work with the government or opposition, and or be too populist for the other members to oppose him and his proposals. “Viper” you evidently have the wrong mindset for this whole democratic process, if you want blind loyalty and support I would suggest moving to North Korea or Saudi Arabia
And people like you are the idiots that’s voted Kenneth Bryan in. He ran on an ego trip to get back at Alden. Kenneth will accomplish nothing other than to collect a big fat paycheck and milk this country of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Exactly!!!! Did anyone seriously think Kenneth Bryan could accomplish something in government? Something other than collect his paycheck and try to turn us into a socialist state?
On my own, once again -https://youtu.be/KsH63qJlIMM
All by myself – https://youtu.be/lNBhNscGCdo
You don’t have to be lonely.
Only the lonely…
What does Anthony Eden actually do besides gain weight, halt progression and shout about ‘the gays’? He is a homophobic has been who should be nowhere near politics anymore. Whoever voted him in should be ashamed of themselves. What a waste of public money.
You forgot to mention complains about Atheists as well.
Best reason for voting Anthony was that he was NOT a Mac supporter.
I went to the Legislative Assembly and saw him sleeping as they debated, the man was the Deputy Speaker of the House and he doesn’t even have the decency to hold his many chins up and pretend to pay attention to the conversation. He just wakes up and votes and drifts off to sleep.
Kenneth is not paid by by Mr Miller, but by the people, Kenneth was not voted in by Mr Miller but by the people. Mr Miller as far as I know also ran on an independent ticket not the “I’ll oppose everything and anyone” party. Kenneth is right, he ran independent so should remain independent. More people voted for Kenneth than for Miller, he has possibly a big future ahead of him. Miller is a power hungry man using politics to fuel old and new feuds instead of do his job. You keep doing what you need to do Kenneth, you have made much more sense so far than any of the old hats with your mature positive thinking. You are the change we need, more like you.
Truth. Kenneth got more votes. Now what does that tell ya about Lezzard?
Completely agree here. Miller is power hungry and it will only cause the collapse of his opposition govt.
Kenneth if you are reading this, stand strong. We voted for you for all the right reasons and you are continuing to show us that you are capable of being an independent thinker! Too bad if others don’t like it!
more evidence that independents are incompatible and are a total waste of time….
We need to end this Caymanian version of “Game of Thrones” (Great show and book series BTW) and make it very clear that if the MLAs do not act in the best interest of the people they will be voted out in 4 years, the same people complaining about the status quo and the current state of affairs are the same people who have been reelecting the same persons for the last 10-20 years, our system of government also needs radical changes, starting with the slashing of the MLAs salaries to a more appropriate scale depending on whether they are a part of the government and especially if they have a ministry, because for everyone else this is a prestigious part time job. With the saved money they can do the next step which is setting up a second house, just like the majority of other parliamentary systems, (US : House of Reps. and The Senate, UK : House of Lords, House of Commons the list, goes on and on) the secondary house would have a shorter cycle (2 years for example) so that if the government wants to keep the ability to pass their bills and motions they will have 2 years to prove they have done something for the secondary houses’ elections. This will end the current problem in Cayman which is that politicians campaign for 2 months stick around for the rest of the year and then are unavailable for the next 3 years till election season. This is the only way forward Cayman radical change, which is something that not a lot of people like.
Did the video of our fowever onable gentleman ever get released?
The old and the new. Hey Ezzard the leader needs to keep people in the boat paddling instead of throwing them overboard. It’s not like you’re all that popular.
Lonely at the top eh, Kenny!?
GTC voters, I hope you’re happy with your non-representation! EEEEDIATS!!!
Shut up, Marco.
That’s what ya get! Voted stupid.
So basically, KB cannot work with anyone. Great job there electing him, GTC.
Recall them both!
As in “your car may have a faulty airbag, we are recalling to rectify”?
Faulty airbag – what a great term for a politician