Date and question set for port referendum
(CNS): Government has published its draft referendum bill setting a December date for the poll asking Cayman’s voters, “Should the Cayman Islands continue to move forward with building the cruise berthing and enhanced cargo port facility?”, requiring a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer. The date, 19 December, is not only very close to Christmas, presenting a battle for voter turnout, but will also disenfranchise all those who registered to vote over the last three months expecting a New Year vote.
Government gazetted the bill Thursday, paving the way for the people-initiated referendum on the cruise project. The constitutional provision for a public poll was triggered after campaigners reached the required number of signatures on a petition and the Elections Office verified the names.
In a statement, the premier’s office confirmed that Thursday, 19 December, will be a public holiday and, in an unusual move, said that licensed bars and other establishments will remain open to minimise disruption during the holiday season.
The office stated that there is no guidance in the Constitution about how Cabinet should set the wording for a people’s referendum. There is no precedent for such a vote here as this referendum is a historic achievement by the campaigners. But the premier’s office said it had relied on common sense and natural justice principles that the question is clear and simple, to the point of the issue, unambiguous and neutral and not misleading.
In addition to following these criteria, Cabinet had also been guided by the Council of Europe’s Commission for Democracy and its code of good practice on referendums. The office said that Cabinet had also sought to ensure that the referendum question reflected the intention of the petitioners, the Cruise Port Referendum Cayman, before going on to criticise their petition, suggesting that it did not assist in determining a question that met the criteria. Cabinet had used the campaign website text where the “underpinning rationale for the CPR petition” was clear, the statement said.
The premier’s office said the petitioners had focused solely on cruise berthing but an enhanced cargo port had always been part of government’s plan. In 2015 the premier had indicated that enhancing the cargo port could also become part of the project, officials noted as they justified including that in the question.
The attorney general was consulted in the development of the question and external legal advice was also sought.
The date choice was based on the time it takes to get to a point where the Issuing of Writs can be made to the Supervisor of Elections, as government had to draw up the referendum bill, gazette that 21 days before it can be debated in the Legislative Assembly and then await the assent and gazettal of the actual law. At that point, the Writs will be issued. The Elections Office also needs time to carry out their work, including providing for postal and mobile voting.
According to the statement, the Elections Office has confirmed that, given the staff training and other preparations it has already done, it can meet that date.
However, campaigners and voters may consider the poll date too soon and too close Christmas. The CPR had wanted a January date, which would have increased the franchise and not interfered with people’s Christmas holiday plans. Having the vote just days before Christmas will inevitably dampen turnout, which will favour the outcome that the government wants. It already has a numbers advantage, as a ‘no’ vote will require not just a majority of those who go to the polls but 50% plus one of all registered voters to win the day.
Given that the new electors register, which will be in effect on the date of the referendum, has 21,216 qualified voters, it will require 10,609 people to vote ‘no’ to stop the port project.
Nevertheless, campaigners are now set to do their best in the limited time available to get Cayman voters to the polls, regardless of the season and government’s confidence that it will win the day.
In the statement officials said, “Government looks forward to settling this issue and determining whether the country supports continuing to move forward with building the cruise berthing and enhanced cargo port facility.”
See the full statement, timeline and bill in the CNS Library
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Category: development, Local News, Politics
Hope they got approval from Braccanal first
The project going through no mater with or without you and you
The port going through no matter what you really say or what you do
The port going through cause it is very good for you
You know at the end of the day you’ll be prouder than when ya first child was born.
Ya know at the end of the day McKiki and Alden and all the big money dem will be drinking champagne swallowing caviar and flying off to Monaco and Switzerland.
So the Port going through
So the Port going through ( yeah from we pocket)
Yes the Port going through ( and they say we na spend a cent)
The Poooort Gwaaaain through.
As Andy M would say Ona Take Dat.
Cleverly worded to maximize the Yes vote.
They dont need to maximise yes. No vote is the same as voting yes. Only the no votes matter.
This is doomed to fail even before the votes are counted. The bar has been set extremely high. Will absentee balloting be available??? I ask as I have travel plans for the 18th Dec which cannot be changed.
Absentee ballots are available from the Elections office..Please do this as soon as they say you can..It is so important that we stop this destruction..
alden,the fact that the referendum is happening should be reason enough for you to resign.
your failure to read public sentiment is beyond belief.
Thank your CIG for scheduling to allow all of the vested overseas students the opportunity to cast their ballots.
Even a week earlier will ensure a larger turnout. Or second week of January. There will be more No votes than Yes votes (purely because those against it are more passionate and committed than those are for it.).
But I think the No will fail because it will be difficult to reach 50 percent of the eligible voter population.
* NOTE *
Persons who will be away from the Cayman Islands on Dec 19 may request a postal ballot by filling out form B, available on http://www.elections.ky, at: https://portal.elections.ky/files/downloads/forms/2016/FORMB.pdf
The completed form along with proof of travel plans may be emailed to office@elections.ky.
Those who will be in the Cayman Islands but unable to physically attend the polls, may apply for mobile voting using Form C, also available from http://www.elections.ky at: https://portal.elections.ky/files/downloads/forms/2016/FORMC.pdf
Elections Office polling staff will either visit successful applicants in person, or facilitate their vote before polling day at an early voting station.
How do overseas students vote? They cannot prove their travel plans as they are in school and show they left months prior.
Please call the Elections office..Mr. Howell can ensure they get absentee ballots..
Rush job? The UK’s EU referendum date was announced on Feb 20, it was June 23 – four months later. This is just over half that timeline and is scheduled for the start of a peak holiday period. This is going to be a cluster****, there’s no way CIG can get their act together to conduct a poll of this importance in roughly 10 weeks.
To sully the first peoples initiated referendum of your nations history with a move for voter suppression is unbelievable! I expect things like this from some of the third world counties I lived in. Not the Cayman Islands that I love and respect. It’s shameful. 😞
Sample letter to send.
Dear HE Governor Martyn Roper,
I am writing to plead for a reconsideration of a date change for the upcoming Cruise Port Referendum to occur in January 2020.
Your Excellency, this date prohibits 207 new registered voters from casting their ballot in this landmark decision.
With the requirement of 50% of the electorate needed to vote in favor or against – historical figures of voter turnout show that every vote does count and these 207 people have the power to be the difference that is needed.
Your Excellency, understanding that this is high season I do understand the rationale for allowing bars and restaurants to be open. However – I am fearful that this will result in fraudulent behavior and persons being encouraged away from polling stations with the lure of open bar tabs etc. If this vote was in January there would be more flexibility outside of the Holiday season to close businesses as usual. This would also ensure the Business owners and staff would have greater odds of voting. While they are entitled the leave to vote on December 19 – it is highly unlikely noting the intensity of the busy season on shift work.
Your Excellency, this is also a time where offices close for the Holidays and people are abroad traveling. Additionally University students are still on the way home from school. The added factor of a postal ballot appears to be another stumbling block placed in the way of what should be a democratic vote and appears to the general public as voter suppression.
Your Excellency, I plead for you to please do whatever is in your power to help ensure this referendum is democratic and just.
This country is all we have, please Your Excellency, help us to have a fighting chance.
I am available by phone or email if by chance you would like to speak further.
Caymankind Regards,
(Name)
(Age)
(Number)
Hi Everyone, I too agree totally with you (and I’m sure we can speak for a massive number of the electorate) on this Port vote / question Issue NOT only is it being miss-management for political benefit, in the wake of the next coming election, but clearly a short sighted vision.
Still yet, with the long outstanding matters of the mounting garbage waste treatment situation, stabilizing Education Reform, and lack of a local Entrepreneur Incubator Centers / Business Support With Venture Capital And Tax Breaks (to derive another industry for Cayman’s sustainability in the wake of another pending predicted recession), how is it that this Port enhancement is credibly a threat and requires the voter’s hard earned tax dollars to address it now. I really can’t honestly see how this Port Implementation qualifies as a need – not even for the fact that it enhances our Tourism Product.
Frankly, if we want to properly address the Tourism Product, let’s start with a properly clear and transparent vision with all stakeholders and then we can actually chart a course of action and set budgetary direction that, perhaps, addresses it in phases and not even necessarily approach in one massive lump sum of >200 M expenditure, which can be clearly argued to not be enough anyway, as logistics goes.
Firstly, my primary concern here is this – why would you upgrade both the Tourism area and the Port together as they are currently? Somebody is certainly driving this Tourism product vehicle, but nobody is steering the wheel! We are literally a law suit away should a container swing loose and take out a bus of tourist or should such a similar incident take place. The point is, that Tourism area next the Port was a seriously bad decision – for our visitors to see one of the worst parts of our island as they get off the ship is truly damaging – thing is, I don’t believe we clearly thought of this, nor we put ourselves in the visitor’s position, to realize this fact.
Secondly, should we keep that Tourism area next to the port, how can the surrounding area around it possibly handle the volumes of activity of visitor foot traffic, without turning that street into pavement for strictly foot traffic (with the situation with the traffic lately, I dear not say that we may lose another road. But..); however, what we are literally telling our Cruise ship visitors is that you are NOT as important as our traffic or cargo activities – please tell me what kind of damage is this doing to our Tourism product daily.
Point, the Tourism areas should have been located within a tourism friendly environment with the requisite easy access to transport and shops, even if we had to build a Tourism Village / Mall, per say, on a more natural area for a dock for this activity or considered more innovative natural habitat approach of an on-the-water floating park – whatever the direction, Cayman let’s at least try to thoroughly think things through, looking over not less then 20 years, especially when so much money is on the line and the competing opportunities lost as a result, and I might add continues to be lost as mentioned before, for the sake of a political agenda.
Finally, I am truly happy that we (Caymanians – those like us indigenous and those new) people can exercise their referendum rights on this matter and, rightly so, we feel justified since although we elected trusted members (we love them all) in the house, however, clearly it takes the majority to get anything achieved, so unless our elected officials begin to operate on a more unified and strongly visionary basis with us Caymanians truly in mind from the start, I’m afraid that we shall need to continue to address these types of issues this way. All that said, my dear Caymanians, let us NOT weaver and stand together like we once did in the old days – remember, it shall always take a village to raise a child and it shall always take a village to raise this child called Cayman. Lord’s Blessings to you all and peace and good will!
Is the date set on stone or is there a mechanism for us to contest it? Because this December business is a blatant trick to obstruct the new voters to have their say.
Technically not set in stone until the writ is issued which will happen approximately 6 weeks before the date
So Early November is when the date will be final
Though its not likely to change, the government took their time picking a date to try to reduce turnout as much as possible
CPR made me realise how much we need the Piers and cargo dock.
Guys your messengers have very little credibility.
Remember that we had protesters when the current dock was built. When the Ritz was built. When the west bay by pass was built. When the Kimpton was. Built.
I believe that there are people who are jealous of cayman success and want to keep us in the dark ages.
Every Caymanian must support our piers and cargo port. Our children lives depend on it.
Luckily no one will be allowed to force people how to vote.
Which vpn are you using to give yourself 50 thumbs up? Lol.
This whole thing stinks on so many levels. Come on Alden pick a date in January and make it a fair vote. I do feel the winds of change with the young people. After all it’s their future we are messing with can these MLA not see this. Or is it just about $?? Sad times Cayman and so corrupt. Time longer than rope.
5:34 which date is the perfect date!
Folks stop wasting your time. The Piers will be built. We Caymanians are not crazy.
We will stay home on the 19th or vote Yes.
We need the Piers like we need oxygen.
Please do not make this an “Expat thing” if you can vote that means you are a Caymanian. Many many “newer Caymanians” are against this mega dock, also many on work permits are against it.
When passenger numbers go down and the funds from cruise tourism goes down the knock on effect will eventually get felt by other companies that didn’t thing cruise could affect them. When that happens the expats that were against it will have no jobs and will have to go home.
Huh? Expats can’t vote. Lucky for CIG. I’ve not met a single one who isn’t appalled by the environmental destruction planned.
Clearly you neither know the meaning of Expat, nor “Caymanian Status”
An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person residing in a country other than their native country.[1] In common usage, the term often refers to professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either independently or sent abroad by their employers, which can be companies, universities, governments, or non-governmental organisations.[2] However, the term ‘expatriate’ is also used for retirees and others who have chosen to live outside their native country.
(Immigration Law 2003 Revision section 20)
A person shall, for purposes of this Law, possess Caymanian status if-
(a) immediately prior to the 15th October, 1992, he possessed such
status under the repealed law;
(b) on or after the 15th October, 1992, he acquires such status under
section 21;
(c) after the 15th October, 1992, he is granted Caymanian status by
the Board under section 22; or
(d) the Governor, in his opinion finding special reason for so doing,
grants such status to him,
and he shall continue to possess and enjoy Caymanian status unless and until he loses it under section 25
Caymanian is NOT a NATIONALITY …it is an Immigration status … so being n expat does not preclude one from being Caymanian!
So what?
Boy, you fool. Try tellin’ a born Caymanian that being Caymanian is only an immigration status!
If this port is built and one of those ships ( which will be many ) loses power there goes the port docking , then all products will have to be tendered in . It has happened many times seen it myself , bloody mess and people running for there lives .
1:15 same happens with planes, and trains!
So Alen and Moses paid consultants and the Attorney General for this question..Imagine that? Wasting money…
I still just don’t understand this on a fundamental level. If you go to visit a fragile attraction, you follow the rules. You don’t touch anything, you stay in the designated area, and you have respect. Our harbour is such a place. Why does anyone think we should destroy it, when a boat can glide right over it? Why don’t we just tell cruise tourists that tendering saves our reefs and dive sites – you would think they would understand?
It is called greed, my dear friend. Instead of brainstorming for more ways to stimulate stay-over tourism, we just shoot ourselves in the foot by risking Hog Sty Bay. 🤷🏻♀️
Our government does not allow non comanians to fish in certain areas, these rules are enforced. We are not allowed to take anything from the water dead or alive in certain areas yet our government, fully supports distroying a huge amout of coral in order to build a pier we do not need. I wlll NEVER understand this thinking.
Well said. And if they don’t theu can waddle off somewhere else!
Locally, this is known as “Mactics”
Yep Alden and Moses has learned from the best.
Cargo has been a part of this whole project from the start, how is it a shock or even not a given that this has to be a part of the question? Simple politricks by cpr
The cargo port is operating under capacity, and even if it were necessary to expand it at some point in the distant future, it wouldn’t require the acreage of marine destruction that accompanies the cruise piers.
Really? If you were there on a day when there is a Ro-Ro, Thompson barge, Container ship and a cement or aggregate ship all together you would think differently.
that little extension on the cargo dock is what you are calling enhancing it..smh
So schedule the ships differently! Once the current construction bubble burst in about 2 years there will be plenty of capacity with the existing infrastructure.
Have you seen the plan for the new cargo port?
As an outsider to Cayman, I think the government has at least proposed a fair and straightforward question, with Yes meaning Yes you want the new development and No meaning No. They really could have made the outcome a lot more questionable by creating a confusing question. It’s too bad that Cayman doesn’t have the provision for an Advance Polling option ahead of the referendum date so voters could still have the chance to cast their ballots if they were planning a trip away at Christmas. The real challenge will be to ensure those who want to vote no are able to make it to the polls on voting day. Every vote will count, but somehow in this one the No voters are more important as the Yes voters can simply stay at home and still have the result they want if the threshold of 50% of registered voters plus 1 is not passed. Good luck to all Caymanians! You have taken your democracy in hand in securing the first people-initiated referendum. Well done!
One question regarding the people’s lead vote within the constitution I find puzzling, why was a decision made for 50+1 of the total voting population versus 50+1 from the total number of votes balloted? I make this query as the average turnout for any election is about 80%, how realistic is it for the 50+1 threshold to ever been achieved?
If we look at the BREXIT referendum, the final report issued by the UK electoral commission indicates a 72% voter turnout and it was binding. I hope the same principal apply here, if not the Government should indicate why not.
Looking forward to any input or insight on the query posed above.
No, the same principal won’t apply in this Banana Republic and the Kirkbots don’t like your post.
If you look to Brexit, and attempts to re-vote Brexit, you’ll see the problem with referendum limits set too low. People will want to change them as often as we change Governments. The idea is that a referendum is for something that is such a big deal, where the Government (probably successive governments) have gotten so far from the majority view, or where there is a desire to prove the majority consensus conclusively, that over half of the eligible voters will approve it. Think of it like needing a super-majority in some parliaments around the world (US for example) to make certain important decisions.
Yes there are other ways to use referenda, but the above explains why our system is the way it is. If enough people wan tot change it, just have a referendum.
The BREXIT referendum was not binding, however the government said they would abide by the voters decision.
As annoying as it is this rule actually protects the Cayman Islands. If 50 + 1 of the voter turnout (as opposed to the electorate) could decide a referendum then an extremely small number of people (in the hundreds perhaps) could make a decision that would effect the entire island.
And if people felt that way they could vote against it, I don’t see what the problem is.
as a opposed to simply staying home not voting but still be able to impact all of our lives because of it?! How is that any better?
“Principle”, not “principal”
Mandatory voting would solve this loophole.
And we the people should make sure that it binding. .
11:06 too late!
By linking the cargo dock into the question, the government can now use the argument that by not doing that aspect of the plan, the existing cargo dock won’t be able to keep up with the population growth, leading to supply delays/shortages. Just watch.
CIG is clearly running scared if they feel the need to have this vote after schools have already started their Christmas break, but still in 2019 to avoid the recent 200+ new registered voters from having a say. Very transparent tricks here, and in the wording of the referendum question. A huge slap in the face to the new voters, many of whom are young and will have to live with the negative consequences of the port long after the rest of us are gone. Caymanians, I beg you to show who is really in charge by voting on Dec 19!
In the UK the legislation requires the Electoral Commission to consult on and propose wording on referenda. That helps stop politicians drafting self-serving questions like this. Still, “no” is easy enough. Vote early, vote often.
🛑 CIG is counting on eliciting the natural reaction to the question which is “well, you already spent millions, so we might as well continue.” But don’t fall for that trap; as many millions CIG has spent without our approval, is still way less than the value of Hog Sty Bay and 7-Mile Beach. #NO
It is a simple fact that millions have been spent.
It is also a simple fact that if it were not for CPR triggering the referendum, government would be signing a contract now.
The process has been stopped from continuing.
Anyone confused by the referendum question should not be eligible to vote.
Who is going to vote Yes will vote Yes and who is going to vote No will vote No. stop being a bunch of cry-babies and convince people which way you want to vote. The question is clear and fair.
Great news! I and all of my family and friends can FINALLY vote YES for the dock!
If you’ll be on island.
By being off island and not voting they are voting YES, dufus.
Wait, what are we voting on here? Matters of National Importance? I choose Discovery Day over Mothers Day weekend in that case!
What makes me laugh is the Government sought advice from the AG and external lawyers, to come up with the following question: “Should the Cayman Islands continue to move forward with building the cruise berthing and enhanced cargo port facility?”.
I wonder what the legal Bill was for this, lol!
Exactly, anonymous at 8:50 , my 12 year old grandson could come up with this in about five minutes. What a bunch of ding- bats. I hope each eligible voting person on these shores will avail themselves of the opportunity to vote on this whatever your stand is. If you are for or against, if the result is a resounding yes to the port then we will have 25 years of Verdant Isles destroying our “Beloved Verdant Isles” and all we will be able to do is to watch it. Clearly the interview that CNS had with them shows that they are only interested in dropping thousands more visitors in George Town two days per week.
For twenty five years we will have the daunting job of ducking around them when we have to walk about in George Town, we will have the unfortunate experience of sitting in traffic even longer sucking up the exhaust from the tour buses ans taxis crawling ahead, on the sides and behind us honking their horns and making obscene gestures for us to get out of their way. One thing that will be different is they won’t be able to speed by.
During the next 25 years we can be proud of ourselves that we didn’t allow that to happen to our Beloved Verdant Isles or we will hang our head in shame for not caring enough to prevent. We will each one make a choice whether or not we go to the polls on December 19.
For the sake of the planet and our sanity in the traffic, if you are favor of the port, please just stay your ass home on the 19th.
19 is a superstitious number
My dear, the timing AND the question were both carefully crafted to ensure that the Government have their way. How many voters do you think will come out to vote on Dec 19th?
I am not sure I understand the voting system. If 50% + 1 of the registered voters are needed, does this means that if 10000 registered voters vote “NO” and no other registered voter shows up to vote for a “Yes”, means the final result is a “go ahead” with the project because the 50% + 1 was not reached? Is this correct? Does this means the result lies in the hands of a “Lazy registered voter” that by not showing up gives a “yes” result to the port? I am confused, sorry.
That’s the only way this will work. There’s no way they set this up to fail if everyone just stays home and chills. Unless 10,000 vote No, look forward to a new port.
Stop the obstruction and build the port now.
Correct
Where have you been? This has been pointed out and discussed on this forum for months! I guess ignorance is bliss.
Mandatory voteing would fill that loophole !
There’s no sense to make from a system like this. When those that make the rules are confusing themselves. .
8:30 only the NO people has to vote, the YES can stay home, it will still be yes!
Will all the people that work in the bars and restaurants be allowed time off to vote??
Who ??? ,,, the “Evil Expats” we got no vote bobo
They will allow to have time off to vote
most modern societies don’t give you a day off to vote….
That’s not to their credit
Yes. Its a good way to suppress voter turnout.
I’d be much more likely to vote having been allowed a few hours out of the office to do so than I am to drag my ass of my couch while enjoying a day off.
did ya all expect any better from this crowd??? yet ya all gonna vote them back in 2021… fellow caymanians…we are the problem????😢😢😢
I’m amazed the international press hasn’t picked up on the plan to destroy a coral reef yet!
Hey, at least the Question itself isn’t as biased as had been feared. Its truly a simple yes or no, so those who want to stop it for any reason, not just environmental or location or other rationale, don’t have to concern themselves with the framing of the question. It’s a NO if you do not want them to continue moving forward with it.
as to the date, it’s a holiday, but most people are NOT gone for Christmas if they were going, and the bars staying open is a GOOD thing, people can have a few and then go vote.
it could be a lot worse.
What they should have done was break the question in at least 2 parts, one about the cruise dock and one about the cargo port.
Although I am for the cargo port upgrades, as they have linked the cargo port upgrades in this question with the cruise dock, i will be voting NO.
Then i will ask them after the Referendum to just do the cargo port upgrades.
Alden, Julie, Moses, Joey, Roy, Chris or David, and Barbara and the rest of the PPM have just shown us how sneaky and snake-like they are by doing the Referendum this way and before Jan 2020. All of them have lost my trust.
He is actually David!! All that he and Barbara has had to offer since being elected is “AYE, so don’t expect anything else. The rest are fully responsible. They are deliberately preventing the newly registered voters from having their say on the Port Referendum but I hope they also realise that these people will be voting in 2021. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around !!
exactly! If they won’t allow those newly registered to vote in the referendum- they can get what’s coming to them when we VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE!!!! Let’s look forward to that day, shall we!!????
By then, it will be too late to stop the destruction. Put a halt to it NOW! Vote December 19.
Leave Barbara out of this. She has in fact done a lot of good and is more accessible and effective than anyone else. She is humble, honest, and untiring servant of her people.
This is redneck politics picking a date when many voters (largely well informed expats) will be off the island. In due course after we have flooded our homeland with hordes of cruisesheep and destroyed our reputation as a unique upmarket tourist destination, the chickens will come home to roost (we have too many already), and our local school history curriculum will record the names of those responsible for posterity.
Anon 7:37 you saving Caymanians cannot decide for themselves! Thats the problem, some people run to the Cayman Islands and try to turn the Islands into the very places they ran from. Sad.
8.21am You are confused, expats are not coming here to get away from what I described, I am saying that most would vote against the piers and that would be in your best interests, what is sad about that?.
What ever Anon is for, I am immediately against and vis versa. Praying for you buddy.
expats cannot vote!
I am not in favor of the docks, but I am really getting tired of the opposition including CNS, harping on every detail of the vote. We have known all along that we need 50% + 1 of those registered. What is so hard about getting an absentee ballot if you are going to be off island? If 25% was needed to get the proposal on the ballot, why should people who were not included in that 25% be allowed to vote now? Should we recalculate the number of signatures required? Would this invalidate the original petition requiring us to start over? After working so hard to get this in front of the voters it now looks like the opposition is just trying to stall in hopes the issue will just go away. Let’s just get on with it. Work hard to get our vote out. That should be our priority.
Not entirely fair comments when CIG has picked a date designed specifically to bias the result.
Close to a major religious and social holiday, designed reduce voter turn out and thus make 51% of electorate difficult to achieve, even if the vast majority vote against.
Designed to exclude young, environmentally conscious new voters.
Mr Roper ought to intervene. This is a travesty for Democracy, something the UK is supposed to champion.
Let’s hope we can show Alden that we just won’t stand for his engineering anymore. Let’s all vote, people.
Travesty of democracy? Surely you do not own a tv or visit legitimate news sources like the BBC to see what is happening around the world. I think you may form a somewhat different view of travesties.
How dirty and predictable by govt!
5000+ people blocking access to transport on busy cruise ship days should get the message across.
It’s time to get serious people! This is our children’s future on the line!
Time for a vote of no confidence in this government as they take the Caymanian people for fools and the Governor isn’t helping! They can even properly explain to the people why they think we need to port so they have the bidders doing this for them. We didn’t voter for them we voted for the government and you don’t have any respect for us! Vote them ALL OUT!!! EVERY LAST ONE!!! Opposition what are you guys going to do to stop our people from being victimized???? Wake up Caymanians and show them all we are not fools and march to demand a January date! This government has gone renegade like this is their last term so they have to do as much “projects” as possible! Remember where that got us last time so DON’T make it happen again! Our people still suffering from their poor decisions! TIME TO VOTE THEM OUT!!!!!
6.48am You are so right about having the bidders try to sell the project. It’s just like Ofreg who cannot make a case for anything without employing consultants to do it for them.
6:48 replacements will be a bigger PROBLEM!
The date has clearly been set to reduce turnout. It is a good move by the government to ensure that they get what they want.
6:41 any date the Gov. set will not be the right date!
Just when people will be off for Christmas. Nice one Alden.
It should be held in late January.
The date is during the Christmas break for the Prep, Triple C and Catholic. Interesting…
Shameful!
Good. That means there is no need to close schools and waste a day of learning for this sham vote.
Please encourage everyone to vote by absentee ballot before they leave..
We cannot allow this travesty by our Government to happen.
Must be port bot thumbs. Whether you are for or against it, why would someone suggesting getting a good turn out by using the absentee ballot get thumbs down (unless its those bots)? Surely if the port is great and lots will vote for it, CIG should be encouraging a great turnout. Unless they are worried…
11:52 only NO people has to VOTE!
Why should this matter. Children should not be involved in politics.
Yea, but they all have parents among whom are voters!!
Because parents will be with their kids, enjoying vacation time. Perhaps on island but also, perhaps, off island. Also, the date is heaped in with the Christmas hustle and bustle. Shameful.
10:10 It takes less than 5 min.to vote no excuse!
pretty sure at least all the private schools get out on the 18th.
CIS on the 20th
what a bunch of nonsense…..any comment mr roper???
Yeah right.
Not meaning to put words in the Governor’s mouth, I am pretty sure if he was “allowed” to freely express his views on this matter he would say “This is a much needed infrastructure and is past due as the current port is almost 50 years old”
Let me go ahead and predict the outcome now.
Referendum happens, the majority that is for the dock is not motivated as voting yes has no meaning. CPR still claims victory for high vote no turnout even though way below any constitutional levels.
CPR also cries from now until 2021 that somehow the vote was rigged, timed against them, question was somehow formed in a bad way, blah blah blah.
Let’s save a bunch of time and tax payers money and just move ahead.
50% of the electorate not 50% of the vote? Wow. What a scam. What is the usual voter turnout? 70%?
Who approved the “Constitution” again? Do remind us.
anon 1120 your comment is a joke. This cruise port if built is for the Cayman islands people not just those that vote for you too but you want to manipulate the numbers.
What are you babbling about?
Given the date chosen, I predict voter turn-out will be less than 60 per cent. About 85% of those casting votes will need to vote No to stop the dock from being built. Once the government gets the Minster’s Association on board with telling the flock to vote yes, this referendum is doomed. It probably was doomed from the start, given teh 50%+1 of the electorate threshold. However… there will be hell to pay in the 2021 general elections because of this.
No one even needs to vote yes, just stay at home. Yes and no vote is effectively the same thing.
You must be able to appoint a proxy?
Only reason it is so soon is to exclude all the new young voters who have just signed up but cannot vote until 1st Jan 2020.
Alden you are a complete snake in the grass and as arrogant as they come.
Yup, I’m annoyed but I can still vote him out in the next election at least
You do know he has publicly stated that he ‘s not running, right?
yeah right. Mckeeva isn’t either..you actually believe anything that comes out of Alden’s mouth.
In this instance I do, as he can’t serve another term as Premier and his ego is too big to be a mere Minister.
He cannot stand as Premier for the next election cycle but is eligible to re-run after that. Found that out from the constitution office which is truly scary. As a country we really should educate ourselves on the constitution.
7.57am Not running but surely cycling, he will be on the ballot for sure.
CIG could expand the cargo dock for $25mln if we were approaching 75% capacity utilization, or they wanted to, or had the money. Instead they parcel it as a do-or-die necessity within the cruise pier question as if the two were mutually exclusive. Maybe the clearest play for CPR is to petition the gov to dissolve the LA and call elections for 6 mos from now.
Even the cargo port has no business being in the center of town. The trucks shut the town down at night which is why places can’t stay open after the cruise ships leave.
Personally, I love George Town. I wish it had more going on in the evenings. But then again, you might consider me Anti-Camana Bay whereas I am more Pro-Local/Pro-Caymanian/Pro-Anywhere but Camana Bay…
I guess we should have known that Government would make this on a date that would be inconvenient for most people…6 days before Christmas and when a lot of people will be off island also to ensure that all the people that just signed up to vote can’t vote..
For everyone that has already made their travels plans please vote by Absentee Ballot…Lets show this Government that we still will have our say no matter how much you try to stifle us…
Thursday before Christmas – LOL. People will take Friday off and have a four-day Christmas shopping weekend in Miami. I can imagine the Unity Caucus snickering when then came up with his idea. “Brilliant!” said Moses, and they all had a good belly laugh at how they’ve manipulated democracy.
We’re not all civil servants you know.
Four day shopping weekend in Miami…honestly
Dude, it aint the CS goin. Who do you think is working the election (most I’ve seen at other votes are Civil Servants) and cleaning up the day after?
Those who laugh last laugh best!,
i done call the day off but now you ga me feeling bad bruv
And thus begins the government’s underhanded ploys to stifle participation and shift the public opinion in this process
Starting with backing these spontaneous Cruise industry meetings that are (to the surprise of no one paying attention) closed door, underhanded attempts to get stakeholders to back the project publicly
Ensuring that the people who registered for the January voters list are not allowed to vote disenfranchising dozens of young Caymanians looking to exercise their democratic rights hopefully this is challenged in the courts as a clear political move to suppress the vote that infringes on the right of suffrage
There is absolutely no reason in a country this small that we cannot implement some sort of same day voter registration
Holding this vote during the holiday season when Caymanians travel and have holiday events and celebrations, and at a time when mail is delayed (which could effect postal ballots of Caymanians in university or otherwise overseas)
This vote should have been scheduled for November or January, these moves by the political arm of the government should be acknowledged for what they are sheer and unashamed attempts at blatant voter suppression
So wa happen to the claims that the question will be vague and misleading? Dunno who to trust these days.
It is misleading. I would support updated cargo facilities but do not support cruise ship dock facilities…and no, they are not the same thing.
you wan your cake and eat it too.. for free.
want control? build it out of your own pocket
It has always been both. Every scoping project for the cruise terminal has included cargo. Nothing misleading at all.
Shut up and vote.
This is shady as XXXXX
All the expat voters done got their flights booked longtime. Apathy will of course win the day.
There is usually a way for people to arrange their vote in advance if they will be off island.
You underestimate/calculate incorrectly.
Put your money where your keyboard is then big boy. If “No” wins, I’ll pay you the difference between the number of yes and no votes. If “Yes” wins, you pay me the difference between the number of no votes and the number of eligible voters. Shake on it?
What the hell is an “expat voter?” Oh, you’re trying to denigrate “driftwood” aren’t you? Idiot.