Premier calls on governor to make NSC work
Premier Alden McLaughlin and Governor Anwar Choudhury
(CNS): In his welcome address to the Cayman Islands’ new governor, Anwar Choudhury, Premier Alden McLaughlin called on him to help tackle the problem of rising crime and ensure that the National Security Council functions as it was intended. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly after Choudhury was affirmed into office, McLaughlin gave a potted history of Cayman’s success but acknowledged that things were not perfect and called on him to help address crime and develop the role of the council.
In his own address Choudhury prioritised the issue of security and said he planned to call a National Security Council meeting as soon as he could. In his comments McLaughlin pointed to the NSC as key to improving the crime fight and said crime was one of a number of issues that the Cayman Islands Government needs the support of the governor and the UK government to resolve.
“The National Security Council, we believe, if properly used can be a key factor in helping us devise appropriate strategies and identifying the necessary measures and funding required to address these critical issues,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to discussing with the new governor how the operations of the council could be approved. Choudhury’s support was also needed to move the creation of a coastguard forward, the premier said.
In addition to the challenge of tackling rising crime, McLaughlin spoke about the impacts of immigration, which he credited for the success of Cayman’s vibrant economy. But he said government had to ensure that “our own people are able to seize the tremendous economic and employment opportunities” of that economy. He said work was needed to ensure that “discrimination does not grow an even bigger head” and that Caymanians get a fair chance, as he pointed to his recent proposal to introduce a fair employment commission.
“I will welcome your views and assistance as we seek to navigate these very difficult waters,” he said, addressing Governor Choudhury.
As well as outlining some of the issues facing the governor, McLaughlin told him that the most successful governors are ones that take time to understand the people and the issues rather than applying a cookie-cutter approach. McLaughlin ended his speech telling the governor he was looking forward to what he believed would be a solid term for Cayman’s thirteenth governor.
Before McLaughlin addressed the new UK representative, House Speaker McKeeva Bush delivered short comments. He welcomed Choudhury, who walked off the plane carrying his baby daughter, as a family man, which he said bodes well for the new beginning, given the importance in Cayman of family.
He also claimed that Cayman was a tolerant place where people live together and want to keep it that way, and said he hoped Choudhury had “brought much of that tolerance in his bag”. He also said there was “a good India community and others of close proximity to India”, adding that there was “no problem from them”.
Choudhury is British, having moved to the country when he was a small child, but he was born in 1959 in East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh.
See full ceremony of the swearing-in ceremony on CIGTV
Category: Crime, Crime Prevention, Politics
All worked up about crime!?…perhaps one of the biggest causes are over inflated prices & below average paychecks too many places are under paying, I suspect one of the reasons is CI GOVT got rats in that building that keeps looking for more ways to charge the country more,(if expats want stay on this ‘great’ island)..they have to pay big!) ego trip much?… If you dont know by now most Ministers only there for that Cash fat monthly paycheck .
Pay less to Ministers and use the money to focus on that huge health care and mental hospital you will be needing….
Stop the over pricing of food Etc.
Show the beast you care and he will come to love you…otherwise , prepare to get eat.
On 05 March, you quoted the Premier describing the outgoing Governor Helen Kilpatrick as the “best governor that Cayman has ever had”. Today, he’s asking the new Governor to try to get the National Security Council going. You couldn’t make this up!
So why didn’t the “greatest Governor” leave the National Security Council up and running? Obviously what made her the “greatest Governor” wasn’t what she did for Cayman; it was what she let him do while she turned a blind eye.
I wonder if he think this man hasn’t been reading the local media on line before he came here – duhhh.
How people we elect can agree to let him be their leader is beyond me. What isn’t is that we need to make sure in 2021 that NONE of them are re-elected.
Alden McLaughlin is too busy serving his Lodge masters and therefore he finds himself between a rock and a hard place.
The rock is the power of the Masonic Lodge and the hard place is keeping up the pretense before the people he claims to serve.
Alden is known as “the Destroyer” in the Caymanian underground.
He has destroyed his country.
Shocking really when you look back over the years at how this man with no patriotism has managed to deceive one of the most patriotic countries I have ever known.
Every national has the right to feel proud of the country of their birth. It is a human right. Stop destroying.
You are wrong PERIOD! Also, try using them at the end of your sentences.
Fix the NSC simple take fake elites and political minions and idiotic party stooges off the panel and put real people who understand exactly whats happening in Cayman.
Drunk on Fox News Koolaid, this is what led to President Trump in the states…
bs
So change everyone.. lol
Now if we look at the Premiere addressing the new Governor on the crime issue from a competent point of view , how long did the Premier know about the crime issues in Cayman ? Did he have to wait till the new Governor arrived ? No . What did he say or do about issues before hand ? Nothing .
So I think that he only said what he said to make YOU think that he is concerned about the crime issue .
Does Mckeeva Bush even know the difference between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh! Does he know that they are three distinctly different places? Does he even know the heritage of the Governor? I am so tired of him bringing shame on us. Why don’t he just go silently.
3:44 pm, do you know one time the 3 countries you named was one country of India ?
He should focus on issues relevant to British global interests, such as gay rights and the environment. There is nothing he can do about local criminality and that does not affect the UK’s reputation as a whole anyway.
Oh Mr. Premier…. between you and Mac it may have been better to have not said anything at all! Your wining about the NSC not functioning properly and Mac’s comments about the Governor’s arrival makes the public just shake their heads! The NSC is and has been an effective tool to keep abreast of the issues in this country, however how could anything be done when it met only once in a year? Between yourself and the Governor, it was never adequately utilized and appeared to the general public that it simply wasn’t a priority. Remember Governors come and go…. but you Mr. Premier was born, lives, and like you have said plans to died here, so the issues can no longer be ignored and swept under the rug. How can you continue to hear and see the rise in crime and not be as alarmed to call meetings, create strategies (national), and really work towards change and addressing the social issues in this country. Frankly, if it doesn’t involve huge development or the financial sector, there is very little that really gets done! You continue to remain quite silent on these matters when many of these incidents happen in your backyard! It’s been almost a year since you were re-elected and we continue to wait to see many campaigns promises will be kept based on your party’s manifesto or to see that many were empty promises. #2021sooncome #weneedrealleaders #actionsspeaklouderthanwords
Welcome Governor. Please stop these idiots. They are destroying our country.
Oh my god, McKeeva. Shut the hell up! You embarrass us and yourself with such ignorant, comments.
Welcome Your Excellency. May your time in the Cayman Islands be enjoyable. Please pardon McKeeva and please do not judge us all by his example.
Let’s do some crime fighting! Tho’ I am wondering what’s been holding it up for the past two terms.
Did Mac really say those things? Patronising to say the least…and an attempted slap in the face for the previous governor, who is a family woman, but no husband around for her own good reasons which are nothing to do with us.
If Alden had any interest in the National Security Council he would have asked the previous Governor to call a meeting which he has a constitutional right to do and which the Governor is obliged to summon
What are the issues with the council in it current form other than the lack of utilization?
I beginning to think Alden doesn’t generally care about the rising crime and this is all a sham to kiss some ass.
My thoughts exactly.
I can’t wait to talk to this bloke. Alden is just blowing smoke up his derriere.
Welcome Mr. Governor!
Please would you have the anti-corruption commission thoroughly investigate the planning board? This is desperately needed ASAP.
Thanks very much on behalf of the regular Caymanians.
You know in order to start an investigation you need probable cause
You can’t just investigate things because you don’t like what they conclude
Your smart idea is to start another wide-reaching corruption investigation because that ended well the last 2 or 3 times we did it
Real legal eagles we have in Cayman
You sound worried brah! Time to drain the swamp!
No but clearly you want another Tempura, have at it
Waste more money and at the end of the day, you will still be left with nothing to show for it
You are wrong. Mere suspicion is more than enough for any investigation.
It’s not suspicion… It’s blatantly obvious for all to see!
Maybe in a police state
If you want to start an investigation you need proof or reasonable grounds
Otherwise authorities could just investigate endlessly with nothing in mind and no oversight until they find something illegal to charge you with
Not to mention Cayman has already been down the road of endless corruption investigations
A suspicion is all you need, anywhere. I am sorry you have been misinformed.