Fewer than 900 names needed to confirm petition

| 12/08/2019 | 47 Comments
Cayman News Service
The Cruise Port Referendum petition

(CNS): More than 83% of the signatures on the Cruise Port Referendum petition required to trigger the poll have now been verified by the Elections Office, and just 879 more are needed to force a national vote on the government’s controversial cruise port project. Despite serious concerns that people who had signed the petition and then gone on to sign the verification form had been allowed to ‘un-verify’ that confirmation, the petition remains on track.

According to the latest statistics from the Elections Office, by Saturday evening a total of 4,413 signatures by registered voters had been confirmed. Campaigners have submitted a total of 5,663 names, so there are still 1,250 signatures that the Elections Office has yet to confirm. The campaigners are still collecting signatures and remain confident that the key number of 5,292 (25% of the electorate) needed to trigger the referendum should be reached before the end of August.

While remaining confident, activists remain concerned that the ability to ‘un-verify’ opens the process up to the possibility of political pressure on signators, even though the governor has dismissed those concerns.

Johann Moxam, one of those spearheading the campaign, said that the eleventh-hour rule-change was baffling and could only be described as political interference. Saying that the decision to allow this risked the process becoming a joke, he suggested that people who signed the petition, then verified that signature, then un-verified it should also be allowed to re-verify.

“It makes a mockery of their own rules and process that they demanded to be followed at the beginning to insure a robust and thorough verification,” he said, adding that the move made the government look desperate to stop the inevitable people-initiated referendum.

Moxam said it was clear that the rules for this major national decisions are being made without any legal basis.

Meanwhile, signators who want to verify this week can visit the Elections Office, Hurley’s Supermarket on Wednesday, 14 August or Fosters Countryside and Strand branches on Saturday.

Cruise Port Referendum Signature Verification Countdown

* 5,438 submitted June 12th + 199 submitted July 11th + 26 submitted August 5th
** Constitutionally required 25% of the 21,116 registered electors = 5,292
# of Elector Signatures submitted for Verification*# of verification forms received# of signatures remaining to be verified # of verification forms remaining to reach 5,292** % of the required 5,292** signatures received Date & Time of Last Update
5,663 4,413 1,250 879 83.4% 10 Aug, 4pm

Verification times and locations:

Foster’s Food Fair Airport Centre (George Town)

  • Saturday Aug 10th 10am – 7pm
  • Saturday Aug 24th 10am – 7pm

 Foster’s Food Fair Strand (West Bay Road)

  • Saturday Aug 17th 10am – 7pm
  • Saturday Aug 31st 10am – 7pm
  • Saturday Sept 7th 10am – 7pm

 Foster’s Countryside (Savannah)

  • Saturday Aug 17th 10am – 7pm
  • Saturday Aug 24th 10am – 7pm
  • Saturday Aug 31st 10am – 7pm
  • Saturday Sept 7th 10am – 7pm

Hurley’s Grand Harbour (Red Bay)

  • Wednesday Aug 14th 3pm – 7pm
  • Wednesday Aug 21st 3pm – 7pm
  • Wednesday Aug 28th 3pm – 7pm
  • Wednesday Sept 4th 3pm – 7pm

Elections Office Extended Hours

  • Monday to Thursday 8:30am – 6:30pm
  • Friday 8:30am – 5pm
  • Saturday 10am – 3pm

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Comments (47)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Fewer CNS not “less”!

    CNS:
    Tail between legs. I’ll go lie down now.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Won’t this validation of petition give CPR the legal authority to request the absent reports, and/or seek court injunction to stop the misinformation campaigns using public funds?

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  3. Bean Counter says:

    They are playing a dangerous game. This port project is not needed nor is it one that the country can afford given the other priorities. Sound fiscal management decisions are key for the continued success of the Cayman Islands.

    “On March 21, Moody’s Investors Service affirmed the UK-backstopped “Aa3” LT- foreign currency credit rating of Cayman Islands with, for now, a “stable” pre-Brexit outlook.

    We have USD$312,000,000 coming due on November 24, 2019 (http://cbonds.com/emissions/issue/11677) and, instead of retiring that and rebuilding reserve, will have to roll forward much of that debt forward via a new 10 or 20 year issue and service that debt at a new interest rate to avoid default.

    That issue will count against our total permitted loan capacity with the post-Brexit Foreign Commonwealth Office.

    There is no EXCESS money for spending, folks, and there are still Billion+ dollar underfunding liabilities with CIG healthcare and pension that aren’t reflected on the territorial balance sheet.”

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    • Anonymous says:

      Good time to refinance. Chill out.

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    • Cha says:

      What is it with you people you don’t read or wa the rash project is going through. Get it through ona conflictagracial heads nah! Jeez!

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    • Anonymous says:

      We should be borrowing as much as we can to finance infrastructure and development. Interest is next to nothing at the moment.

      Only issue would be CIG spending wisely.

      …Oh wait maybe we shouldn’t be borrowing!

  4. Anonymous says:

    The Government of National Unity has claimed this entire time that they have the support of the people on this project so why is it necessary for them to continue the almost year long media blitz that is convincing no one and accomplishing nothing?

    The problem with people that don’t use logic or rationality, you cant even see when their arguments make no sense.

    If the people wanted a PPM port project they would have elected a PPM majority in 2017, they didn’t
    If the people wanted this port project they would have expressed that in the public consultation period, they didn’t (which was actually 3:1 against the project)

    If the Government for even a second thought they had a majority of Caymanians in agreement with this project they would not have voted against the motion brought by the opposition calling for a referendum last year

    The government know full well the people are opposed to this project for a multitude of reasons, a horrible CIG track record with capital projects, risks the the environment, further overcrowding of GT, and further development in the area not for Caymanians but for a select few waterfront merchants who have failed to update 30 year old business models and instead are now demanding the government step in and shovel them new customers.

    There are other areas of these islands that need immediate attention, schools are filling with no plans for expansion, the court system is physically overburdened and prevents swift adjudication, the traffic issues have never been worse, wages have been stagnant for 30 years, The prison is full with no plans for expansion

    There are bigger fish to fry than some god forsaken cruise port meant to enrich family of certain ministers who will then conveniently get donations from those family members come the next election.

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  5. I ❤️ Kirkbots says:

    Kirkbots and professional bloggers on contract with the Tourism ministry are in DEFCON 5 mode are trying again to win the 👍👎 battle on the unscientific cns comment polls.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Time for the Auditor General to thoroughly investigate this Government’s support for and handling of the cruise berthing project. Its like watching a heist in full daylight.

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    • Anonymous says:

      If the Governor can’t see anything wrong, I doubt the Auditor General will..we are screwed!!

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Can’t the PPM not see that the public are getting fed up with their shenanigans. This referendum vote while on the port has larger implications. This is the no confidence vote in this government just like how the OMOV referendum was the vote of no confidence in the UDP.

    It’s time for the PPM and the rest of the Unity government to pack their bags and go we have had enough. They cannot be trusted.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Been saying it!! They think we going keep playing blind, deaf and dumb. Not today bobo, not anymore. They need to enjoy their riches and get their little side companies in shape. They’re all getting voted out. And to the sheep that be in there, y’all going too!!!! Your silence was and continues to be worse than all of the wolves howling in your hair. We’ve suffered enough. No more. Can’t wait till the young,outspoken, forward moving Caymanians make themselves heard and decide to become TRUE Ambassadors for these Islands and it’s people. All of us!! Not the selected, top few. Praying hard on it!! Cannabis is next.

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  8. Sunrise says:

    Why are government officials trying so hard to get the building of the port done? If I was the minister in charge of Tourism, I would be glad for a referendum to happen as it would show me what the majority of the elected members wanted. If the majority wanted the port and things went wrong later, then they could not blame the minister!! However, they are trying very hard to stop the referendum and start the port, which makes you wonder. I am still convinced that the cruise ships building this port will be disastrous for the local taxis!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      They are more concerned about their bruised egos than what is best for the Cayman Islands and its people. I encourage everyone who has so far not verified to go ahead and get it done. We need to show them that they work for us. If we want a referendum on the port project and put the effort into signing and verifying our signatures who are they to try to prevent it. Let this be a messsge for them going forward that the power is in the people not the other way around. They lied to us initially and up until a few weeks ago they lied again when they tried to convince the people that the CPR group included the signatures of persons who are not on the voters list in the numbers of those who are on the voters list and legitimately signed forcing the election office to come out and correct their statements. They threw their “red herring” called “verification” in the mix hoping to prevent the voters from being able to participate but it looks like it back fired on them. Looks like we are fixing to have s Referendum!!

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    • Sunrise says:

      Sorry, I have to correct part of my comment. If I was the minister in charge of Tourism, I would be glad for a referendum to happen as it would show me what the majority of the voting population wanted. Also, why are they so secretive about the terms and conditions that they are going to allow the cruise lines for the building of the port? Show us what we are in for, we have a right to know!!!!

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  9. Anonymous says:

    It would be great to know howany have been unverified or have said to take their name off. Also how many they cannot find or verify

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Maybe CPR should consider that the rules allow for them to continue to submit names while the verification process is on-going.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    What about the75% majority who did not sign, their views on the matter are ignored ?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Kirkbot alert! But to answer your question, no, you can express your views in the referendum.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Just enjoy the holiday that’s coming. Staying at home is the same as a vote in favour of the project in this instance.

      Ps. Can they hurry announce the date so that we can book our flights outta here!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Given the terrible history this government has in mismanaging any major capital works projects. Also the lack of transparency this government has shown the people who will ultimately pay for this project just how can anyone have confidence in this project or the government’s PR spin?

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      • Anonymous says:

        We cannot have any confidence in them considering the airport fiasco. I still cannot figure that one out and they are expecting us to turn them loose on the port. They must think we fool-fool or wha?

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    • Anonymous says:

      No they will have their chance when the Voting on the Referendum takes place. That is If they are on the voters list!

  12. Anonymous says:

    Can we also have a referendum to NOT remove the visa restrictions on Jamaican nationals??. Preemptive, but looks like the change is coming.Nothing against Jamaicans, but the population increase should not be so lop-sided favoring JA nationals.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I guess our Premier will make it that all Jamaicans coming to Cayman does NOT need Visas, but Caymanians going to Jamaica will still need to get Visas, like he did for Jamaicans under 14 and over 70 didn’t need Visas, but Caymanian of that same ages still had to get Visas to go there. Sometimes i wonder if he knows which Country he is Premier of and which country people voted him in.

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      • Who cares. says:

        1:13pm, you seem to forget or don’t know where the majority of your ancestors came from in the first place. JAMAICA, bobo!

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      • Anonymous says:

        I cannot believe that he took on all of mckeeva’s traits. Guilty by association or gusuke pon em.

    • Anonymous says:

      Referendi every week!

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Shucks, that was almost too efficient Mr. Howell.

    Nothwithstanding all of the roadblocks placed, backbiting by, and the outright misleading statements made by the CPR politicos.

    You have done good!

    Now lets go on with the referendum, forthwith!

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    • SMH says:

      Wait, Governor Roper doesn’t see anything wrong with any of this? In any other democratic country this move would be considered as a conflict of interest especially when funded by the public purse to counter a referendum by the people. SMH!

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