Over 27% of CPR petition verified
(CNS): After two weeks of knocking on doors in various communities on Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands, the Elections Office verification team has confirmed more than 1,500 signatures (27.6%) on the petition calling for a people-initiated referendum on government’s controversial proposal for a cruise berthing project. The office issued a press release Tuesday about the latest figures and the ongoing process.
In addition to going door-to-door to seek verification from those who have signed, the Elections Office is verifying people at its office in Smith Road and hosting booths at local supermarkets at the weekends. The office began the door-to-door checking in North Side and East End and has also started verifying signatures from people in parts of Bodden Town and West Bay, as well as in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
Officials reminded the public that the elections staff are identifiable by their branded collared shirts and ID cards issued by the office and are visiting assigned addresses Monday to Sunday between 9am and 8pm, unless appointments for a return visit are made outside of these hours.
Officials will produce a pre-printed verification form that includes the person’s name, voter registration information and the proposition contained in the referendum. The petitioners will be asked to review and confirm the provided details, present some form of identification and, if correct, sign the official form.
With concerns that the government officials could prove intimidating, it is understood that the election staff should not be asking the signators any other questions.
Government has been increasing its advertising in favour of the port and the pro-port lobby has been running ads to persuade people to change their minds and withdraw their names. CNS has asked the Elections Office if it can reveal the number of people contacted by its officials during the door-to-door process that asked for their names to be removed and we are awaiting a response.
Meanwhile, as the process carries on against the backdrop of concerns that tracking down the 5,300 people needed to trigger the referendum in the summer could prove very difficult, the Elections Office said verification staff will leave a card with their name and contact number if they visit a location several times without finding individuals at home.
They also said most contact will be made after close of the business day and at weekends. If any of the signators are not at home when officials visit, even if some are, they will return to that addresses.
People who signed the petition and are off island during this time are asked to email office@elections.ky or contact officials at (345) 949-8047 to verify.
Category: Politics
While I as a born citizen of the Cayman Islands does not support a lot of ways the current administration go about doing things in the operation of our Government; there are particular areas I don’t venture into that supports cutting off or limiting manmade resources coming into our three Islands.
There are only two types of resources in any country or countries in the entire world: Natural resources and manmade resources.
God made this world and he provided the world with natural resources for humans to use to their benefits and advantage. Those familiar with the Bible would understand that most natural resources in one’s country was used as gifts for thank you or good works rewards.
In today’s world, natural resources are for monetary gains strictly. With that being said, countries’ economies are now dictated by natural resources to trade between countries. Countries that trade with other countries freely enjoy the benefits of stable economies, not on the same level due to mismanagement of funds, but liberty to free trade.
So, bottom-line is this; I do not object to anything that brings sustainable wealth into my country, whether I personally as an individual benefit from it or not, but if it’s there; Caymanians has the opportunity to benefit from it. I would object and oppose things that bring zero revenues into my country and no Caymanians benefitted from it. If I choose to vote against something; then I will do so knowing that me as an individual can put down businesses and entities to provide employment and stability to the economy.
Not because everyone jumps up and decide they are going to fight down an operation to please investors and give investors what they want, means that I’m working in the best interest of Caymanian younger generations to come. Our younger generation has already put their minds into another level of thinking, whereas, they are not too keen about putting critical provisions in place for their children’s survival. What we the older heads don’t put in place now as ways of survival for our younger generations, are going to fall short 40 and 50 years from now when 75% of us are dead and gone.
Our now younger generation are more interested in apparel and gadgets. Their iphones, jewelleries, places of hangouts, fancy looking Japanese and Toyota cars and mainly being logged into their group chats on social Medias are where their train of thoughts lies.
In my books; making provisions for our children and their children, children are more sustainable than worrying about damaging the corals, the reef and killing out the fishes.
Everyone with their claims of high risk danger that could occur is basing their theories on opinions that were never actually physically demonstrated.
What we as a people need to picture, is the cruise liners waking up tomorrow and putting out a statement saying their passengers are at high risk being injured un boarding their ships and getting unto ferries to bring them ashore, whereas, years ago I read in the Caymanian Newspaper of a passenger getting their leg broken when going unto the ferry when one of their leg got squash between the ship and the ferry. So when deciding to threaten revenues coming into your community; ask yourselves what other natural resources God gave to your country for the younger generations to live on. Our natural resources are 90% manmade and basically dependent on USA resources. At any given day the United States can be embroiled in a world war. Tourists will reduce their travels, because of fear. Merchant stores will focus on producing what their Government requires for them to survive that war and not what Cayman requires coming in from the US to provide Cayman with food and building materials, etc.
The question groups need to be focused on is where is the natural resource in the three Islands for our younger generation to survive on when we the older folks are dead and gone.
This process is very silly. I live in East End and they tried to come to my house multiple times this week during the day. Then called me upset that they visited my home multiple times and I wasn’t there. However if they checked the voters roll before visiting homes they would know I’m employed and would clearly be working during the day. Such a totally flawed process there is no way they’ll be able to verify all the signatures.
Please go in the office or be at Fosters to verify your signature. See times and places above.
Wilbur it is quite simple; if you want to have your signature verified then you will have to show some initiative and do it, it is not the responsibility of anyone else.
I too am wondering why the election office hasn’t set up a booth at Hurleys. I signed the petition atvHurleys and I verified my signature at fosters countryside. I must say that the election office rep was very professional. I wrote my name, electoral district and signed the form after I had taken my time to properly read it. I do not agree that the election needed to verify the signatures but it is what it is. Please go and get your signatures verified. The powers that be are banking on you not showing up so they can say that the numbers weren’t reached. Whether or not you intend to vote yes or no it is imperative that we the people get the referendum. This is “our” democratic right- a yes or no vote is “your” democratic right.
Precisely. The Government says we have never done this before and there’s no law to tell us how to do it so this is how we are going to do it. It is obviously going to eat into the number of signatures they consider valid. This tactic cannot succeed or it will be the standard response to every petition. They’ve even started from the most remote districts into town so they don’t reach the majority of voters until they’re sure to be on holiday – not just likely, but sure. If you have holiday plans people, go and verify in advance. Consider it part of your trip preparations like anything else. Enough signatures need to be verified that the referendum goes ahead; the Elections Office can then complain about the cost and futility of the exercise (the former, of course, being FOIed); and the Economics and Statistics Office can recommend sampling methods to be used in future. I would have no problem being told my signature had been randomly selected for verification and could I attend the Elections Office on X day or during Y week or confirm when I would be at home to verify and believe most would consider that lawful, rational, proportionate and procedurally fair as s.19 of the Constitution requires. What this process isn’t is lawful (no legislation or prerogative power Government is even claiming to use) or proportionate (certainly not to something the Premier also says is not a matter of national importance). It may be procedurally fair but it wouldn’t have been without all the pressure leading to multiple ways to verify.
3.55pm You say”I do not agree that the election needed to verify the signatures but it is what it is”.Think of the alternative to verification…a small group of individuals decide to start a petition. They then get a copy of the elections register and start copying names and signing next to the names . In no time they have 6000 names along with fake signatures. Since you disagree with verification this list would have to be accepted and a referendum called. So in this case a small group ( say 20) was able to force a referendum on Cayman voters because there was no need to verify signatures. So yes indeed signatures have to be verified.
Fix the damn dump Elections Office!
Troll. I would urge you to stay on topic, but I think that you just get your jollies from interjecting “Fix the dump” into everything.
It’s the damn dump and your momma is the troll.
I have a bridge and a billy goat looking for you.
Where your momma lives?
In the same house that I do.
Set up a daily desk at Hurleys or this whole verification process is a sham. People who shop at Hurleys do so because they live close to town and will be some of those worst affected by any cruise berthing project. Maybe you could set up right next to the petition signature collectors to see for yourselves real people coming forward to stand against the destruction this government is so fond of. Then you could see the real farce you’re engaging in by asking them to come over to your desk too and present the same ID they just did to the petition organisers.
Don’t go to Hurley’s anymore since they stopped providing what I need to transport my groceries securely.
Good job, Mr. Howell and Elections Office.
Reminder: CPR Cayman is still collecting signatures.
– Whodatis
#signthepetition #section70
*The social media propaganda smear campaign against the CPR campaigners is a new low in the Cayman Islands.
I cannot believe what is popping up in my feed these days!
As Premier and Minister of Tourism, Alden McLaughlin and Moses Kirkconnell ought to be ASHAMED of themselves. This makes them look so pathetically weak.
They would be well-advised to reel in this runaway horse of a “pro-port” charge.
Who, Alden and Moses are too self absorbed and narcissistic to feel ashamed about anything they do. As far as they believe they are might and right.
I am concerned with the verification process from my own experience and from speaking to others that have been visited by the representatives from the Election Office.
I was not shown a copy of the petition that I signed and asked if that was my signature and neither has the persons I asked about how they were verified.
I was asked to produce an ID and sign a document.
Mr. Howell said that he is not a handwriting expert to compare signatures so who will do the signature comparison.
I expected the Elections office representative to show up at my home or office with a copy of the petition I signed and to be asked if that was my signature and if I said yes I would be ticked as verified.
This process is seriously flawed and the Governor and the election office needs to explain how this done and who will compare the signatures.
Theyre not cimparing signatures. Its really just a re-signing if the petition!!!
If somehow they get the votes it will be a waste as it’s no way they will win the referendum, if it is even held.
But it was crazy that they were against verification. Wow.
“Controversial berthing facility”…
“Controversial port relocation”…
“Controversial road reassignment”…
“Controversial tall buildings”…
“Controversial dump relocation”…
“Controversial dump acquisition”…
“Controversial anything to do with the dump”…
“Controversial see grass removal”…
“Controversial rock removal, so tourists don’t bust their feet trying to go to the beach”…
“Controversial restaurant on beach”…
“Controversial airport runway elongating”…
“Controversial airport relocation”…
“Controversial George town development”…
“Controversial 7mb development”…
“Controversial glass house removal”…
No wonder we can’t get shit done _anywhere_ except via Dart
I will be surprised if they are able to verify half of the signatures needed. Waste of time and money. Build the dock.
Thank you
Excellent progress. More fake news about the process was going to be delayed
I would be interested in the genuine failure rate – people on the petition who are now saying they didn’t sign it.
If that is negligible, there seems little point or justification in having to waste public money in verifying the remaining 73%. The petition would be valid.
Problem is even a 1% failure rate could be enough, depending on the number of signatures. Like a North Side election, this one won’t be known until the last name is counted.
Elections office is doing a great job…probably to the chagrin of the Aldart/CHEC consortium.
Yep, they hoped it would bog down the petition.
@8.27am I agree, CPR hoped it would be bogged down and they predicted intimidation. Wrong on both counts.
To poster 8.59 The Elections Office is doing their normal excellent job. Contrary to what Johann and other CPR leaders wanted us to believe: no intimidation. I wonder what they will say when the referendum is held and fails? More propaganda about intimidation I suppose.
No doubt they are all identified by having embroidered shirts like every single civil servant and govt’ agency employee pursuant to a sweetheart contract with a business making a fortune out of it (probably with family connections to someone in Govt.
Build the dock and get on with it
Thank you
Anon. Get help! Seriously your thought process is frightening.
Elections Office officers came to my home during the pouring rain. Before I could come out to open my driveway gate, they sped off. I gather they plan to scratch-off the signatures of my family and myself!
Sounds like bs to be honest
Go into the elections office & verify. I did it today in my lunch break & the lady was extremely pleasant & it only took a few minutes.
I believe this process is necessary. We can’t have anyone casting aspersions at the valid signatures after the Referendum has been initiated. This is the first time in our history for a PIR. We MUST get this right, and that means dotting all the Is and Crossing all the Ts.
The Elections Office et al are making great progress. Two weeks from now, we’ll be at more than 50%. Should finish in August, and then onward to the Referendum.
This isn’t about getting this process right
This is the government via Cabinet trying its best to dissuade anyone from starting a petition and buying themselves more time
They should have written a referendum law that would have been made public long before this petition
They are setting the precedent that they will hold all PIRs to in future, the Constitution makes the process relatively easy and of course some verification needs to be undertaken but verifying every single name is just an attempt by the CIG to knock off enough names to say they haven’t reached the threshold plain and simple
Allowing the elections office likely filled with persons affiliated with the CIG or the parties to undertake this exercise entirely based on their word is ridiculous
This is not standard practice in relation to petitions or referendums anywhere else in the english speaking world
“This is not standard practice in relation to petitions or referendums anywhere else in the english speaking world” – Wow. Please list the petition SOP for every country in the that speaks English. (Asking for a friend.)
10.50 Stop the propaganda, it is about getting the process right. CPR is loaded with lawyers, why didn’t they suggest long ago that referendum guidelines be put into law .Or better yet why didn’t they draft them? Maybe they wanted to wait until now so that they could blame Cabinet.
To reach 27.6% verified signatures, the Elections Office did much more than “knocking on doors”.
Mr. Howell and Team – thanks for your efforts!
Persons that have verified your signatures – thanks a million!
It is much better now that the PR circus stunts have abated and the democratic processes take over.
“Number of firms outstanding”. They cannot spellcheck, and we entrust in them the most sacred of constitutional processes?
Firms is spelled correctly, just the wrong word.
Oh boy 7.04 and you thought that Spellcheck would have helped them. Good thing they are not taking advice from you.