Court delays vote to hear judicial review

| 03/12/2019 | 152 Comments
Cayman News Service
Lawyer Kate McClymont with her client, Shirley Roulstone

(CNS): Visiting Grand Court judge, Justice Tim Owen, has put a stay on the people-initiated referendum on the government’s proposed cruise dock in order to allow time for judicial review applications by both Shirley Roulstone, a CPR member, and the National Trust for the Cayman Islands to be properly aired in the court. Justice Owen said he believed there was a case to be heard and a provisional date has been set for late January.

The JR application was heard in chambers Tuesday morning. Roulstone said she was very pleased that the courts had agreed to hear the judicial review, as she noted the importance of making this vote fair. She said the decision was very important.

“We have a wonderful, amazing legal team,” said Roulstone, who was represented by Kate McClymont from Broadhurst Attorneys. “CPR has always been about transparency, democracy and upholding the laws of the land, but we don’t think the referendum was handled in a very democratic or constitutional way and we wanted to fight that. But everyone will now be on notice that this is going to be a fair referendum when it happens.”

Following the news from the court that the referendum would be deferred until after the court makes a decision regarding the arguments put forward for judicial review, Premier Alden McLaughlin issued a short statement.

“As I have been saying for the past few weeks, the referendum was at risk,” McLaughlin said. “We will now need to await the judicial review in January before having a clear idea as to the way forward. I do believe the majority of the country was prepared to go to the polls and vote in the referendum on 19 December, which will remain a public holiday as it is now too late to rescind it.”

However, the premier had set the date and question for the referendum in the face of immediate significant concern about the vote being just six days before Christmas and the question not reflecting the original peition that triggered the people’s referendum. Despite the legal opinion about the many problems surrounding the date, question and process the premier opted to address only legal technicalities regarding the referendum law and none of the substantive concerns outlined in the CPR’s letter to the premier before action.

Government also opted to ignore the National Trust’s concerns about the country going to the polls in the absence of all of the major environmental and geo-technical information about the project’s impact. That case was also heard alongside Roulstone’s individual application today. But given that many of the points in the cases cross-over the Trust application will be heard as part of the same judicial review as Rousltone’s in the New Year.


Share your vote!


How do you feel after reading this?
  • Fascinated
  • Happy
  • Sad
  • Angry
  • Bored
  • Afraid
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tags: , , , ,

Category: development, Local News, Politics

Comments (152)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. J|) says:

    No voters to their friends: “Quick, you have time to register!”
    Yes voters to their friends: “Quick, you have time to register!”

    Unna lemme tell you.. The division is palatable.

    40
    22
  2. Anonymous says:

    I could care less if government thinks it’s too late to cancel a public holiday for their employees, but it’s not too late for me.

    Give the day off to government. Let the rest of us go about doing the business of the country as normal .

    18
    4
    • Anonymous says:

      If you could, perhaps you should. Maybe spend the day at the library?

      9
      5
      • Anonymous says:

        Says the person who isn’t paying their employees to have a day off for absolutely nothing.

        5
        6
        • Jacob M says:

          You better be careful this Christmas Eve, you might have some ghosts appearing to teach you a vital life lesson.

          • Anonymous says:

            That’s a great idea. I usually spend about the same amount on the Christmas Party that I will have to pay for the public holiday. Party cancelled. Bring it on Jacob!

            It’s not convenient, not convenient at all!

            1
            2
  3. Anonymous says:

    CAYMAN RASCALS – when you take what is meant for harm by a politician and turn it around in your favour

    29
    1
  4. Anonymous says:

    And who is putting up the money to promote the dock? People who stand to make a shed load of money from the project and don’t give a damn how much damage they cause. That’s the trail that needs to be followed because I suspect it’s going to head straight to the LA.

    25
    1
  5. Anonymous says:

    I’m watching this from the UK, where I had a front row seat for, and participated in, the Brexit referendum.

    According to another story, Alan Maclean QC, representing the government, cited the Brexit referendum in his arguments against the JR application. He apparently argued that [referencing Brexit] it was not a prerequisite of a legal referendum that “full, final and perfect information” be available.’ That may be true but look at what happened after the Brexit vote. Over three years of complete chaos with another General Election being held in the UK next week simply to try an establish a majority government to run the country.

    I’d respectfully suggest that while there’s no prerequisite for this information, based on what’s happening in the UK, it’s a very good idea. In the UK voters were asked to opt between ‘Remain a member of the European Union’ or ‘Leave the European Union’. Pretty simple questions? But no sooner had the result been announced than people started arguing about it and some of the most common complaints aired since have been that the government hadn’t been honest about the full impact of Brexit. I’m not sure that’s true but what has become clear is that on 23 June 2016 when we voted the government didn’t (and probably still doesn’t) have a clear plan of how Brexit would work out – whichever side of the fence you’re on you don’t want to go down that road with this project.

    19
    10
    • Anonymous says:

      Main difference being we have more information on this project than any other.

      11
      7
      • Anonymous says:

        1:27 That doesn’t say much does it? This is the classic mushroom syndrome – keep them in the dark and feed them BS. We don’t know s*** about this project except that a few people think they’ll make a heck of a lot of money out of it.

        16
        7
      • Anonymous says:

        1:27 Read the comment. The QC representing CIG effectively admits that we don’t have all the relevant information necessary to make an informed decision about this – he’s pretty much killed his own argument and we’re paying for this? It’s a joke!

        12
        1
    • Anonymous says:

      Can I ask all on here what is the threshold for sufficient information? Is it sufficient to change my mind for a yes or sufficient to convince me it’s a no?

      Is it enough information to guarantee an outcome either way- for example no harm to Seven Mile Beach or a guaranteed number of passengers per annum?

      I believe we are on the cusp of losing the plot. It does not bode well for democracy if the general public’s commitment to a referendum is some how scuttled by the pursuit of an impossible threshold of sufficient information.

      The point of the referendum is for the people to decide. National Trust has little moral credibility given their handling of the recent Beach Bay Development application debacle.

      If somehow the referendum is stopped because the Government’s project partners have walked away, while the environmentalists and anti-government lot will claim victory because the outcome suits their personal goal, democracy is arguably harmed because once again the People who triggered a specific constitutional mechanism, have in effect had their constitutional right denied.

      Yes we get the day off still but that’s not the point. Yes we want information and fair process and all of that. But sometimes you can seek perfection and miss what is right and this process has the potential to backfire big time against its proponents, alienating support, losing momentum gained and scuttling the very real possibility of the PEOPLE, not the court, not the National Trust, and not COR holding Government to account.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Who paying for the government pro- port campaign? Me n You bobo!!
    Who paying for Ms Roulston campaign? NOT me nor YOU!! So what does it matter. Don’t shoot the messenger.
    We need an independent EIA. Let the public have ALL the facts before they vote.

    29
    3
  7. Anonymous says:

    The Government and private corporation’s underhanded tactics are clear for all to see. It has left a bitter taste in our mouths and no of trust for the ones we put in office to WORK on our behalf.

    I don’t trust these Shmucks anymore. Next peoples referendum should be on term limits on the number of years a person can hold a top position in office. This revolving door needs to be replaced with musical chairs. They are not honorable nor know the meaning of the word.

    I am glad that Cayman is beginning to stand up and say enough is enough.

    58
    44
    • Anonymous says:

      Totally agree. these old pieces of furniture need to be replaced.

      They have no idea what they are doing and are clearly not fit for purpose.

      29
      14
  8. Anonymous says:

    Change the constitution….50+1…of those that “go” to the polls…..simple. Looks like we may have an early election…Mr. Alden.

    39
    28
  9. Cheese Face says:

    Front page news on the BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50647625

    29
  10. Anonymous says:

    SCOREBOARD AS OF 19 December
    CPR 1 Government 0

    49
    6
    • Anonymous says:

      CPR have more than 1 pt here…petition issued…threshold met…Elections Office validation audit passed…case filed…judicial review approved for new year. I score the fight card 5:0 so far in the first round…

      29
  11. Anonymous says:

    Does this mean that when the Minister for Tourism looks into his Christmas stocking that he will find a lump of coal instead of rolls and rolls of cash. O it is to laugh watching the majority politicians claim transparency and not doing it.

    Thank you Miss Roulstone and the National Trust for standing up for the environment – as it does not take a marine scientist to figure out that coral that has been growing for hundreds and thousands of year can miraculously be relocated.

    O and it does make sense that the central George Town area, which floods out with nominal seas – well it will be made better by dredging!!!

    40
    8
    • Anonymous says:

      The Panama Canal took 10 years to build how much environment were destroyed !

      1
      1
      • Anonymous says:

        The Panama Canal connected the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and by extension the Atlantic Ocean, greatly advancing international commerce to the benefit of all mankind. Not exactly comparable to helping fat cruise tourists waddle into the middle of our roads in greater numbers faster while we are trying to get to work so we can afford food and electricity.

  12. Anonymous says:

    People Power at work…No government should stand against its people.

    58
    8
  13. Kurt Christian says:

    Register To Vote

    43
    3
  14. Anonymous says:

    I firmly believe that Alden is as happy for the delay as anyone. He knows he is in a loosing fight. This buys him the time to invent a reason the port project can’t move forward while he saves face. The project as proposed will be canceled. There will never be a vote.

    35
    4
    • Anonymous says:

      That does not mean he or his party should be forgiven for taking on their own people. Their conduct is has been incredible.

      19
      2
    • Anonymous says:

      Interesting thought process.

      Alden cannot afford for the vote to go against him as it will be political suicide for him and the Unity Government members.

      is Alden smart enough to figure that out though? Doubt it.

      15
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      He’s a coward, like all bullies. His mistake was trying to bully the entire electorate when thousands of its members had already read him the riot act by signing a petition for a people-initiated referendum provided for in the Constitution that he himself spearheaded. That should have been warning enough but instead he told us we would need miracles and laughed in public about the manipulated choice of date. He is behaving with complete contempt for the people who voted for him and the members of his government and they will all pay dearly at the polls. Unfortunately for us this will only make them more obstinate in how they go about ‘governing’ this territory until the next election as they know their time is running out to enjoy all the perks and power.

      28
      3
      • Anonymous says:

        Alden did not get the majority of votes in his (my) district. The combined votes of the other two candidates got more total votes. There was NO mandate. Only by joining with the other minority did each party pretend to have a mandate instead of turning to the electorate for new directions from the people. They are getting those directions now. Too late. Many will get new directions next election and those who really do want to hear from their constituency — those who want to have the votes counted separately by district so they know what their constituents really want — those are the real leaders and I am sure they can get re-elected if they run.

    • Anonymous says:

      10:31 I keep preaching this whole thing is not about ENVIROMENT
      its about ALDEN.

      3
      2
  15. Kurt Christian says:

    Register To Vote

    34
    1
  16. Kurt Christian says:

    Vote No

    30
    9
  17. Anonymous says:

    Well that killed their momentum. I was leaning no for Dec 19 but will be a definite yes when the time comes.

    11
    57
    • Anonymous says:

      Really???

      Because a group of people thought it wise that the community should be fully informed before voting?

      The impact on the environment is one of the main factors which divides the population’s opinion on this project, so I think it’s very important that an assessment be made on the impact of the new design.

      You, on the other hand, seem to be voting for whichever side frustrates you less.

      30
      4
    • Anonymous says:

      8:34 You should be even better informed once you see an independent EIA. why would that be a bad thing. you was voting YES from day one.

      19
    • Anonymous says:

      Lmao what sense does this make?

      8
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      Troll

  18. Port User says:

    So the referendum date was too close to Christmas?
    The UK is holding a general election on what date?
    How many voters are there in the Cayman Islands?
    How many voters are there in one constituency in the UK?

    7
    26
    • Anonymous says:

      8.16 you completely missed the point of the JR my friend

      15
      3
    • Anonymous says:

      You miss the point bobo. The problem is that if a registered voter doesn’t vote in the Cayman referendum, their vote is counted as being ‘FOR’ the government. The referendum doesn’t just need more No’s than Yes’s during the vote. The government backhandedly scheduled the vote for close to Xmas because many Caymanians are off island at that time and everyone that couldn’t vote or submit an absentee ballot was a vote for the government. What they tried to do was flat out crooked.

  19. Anonymous says:

    I am seriously of the view that what we need to do is just dissolve the LA and call for early elections and let’s remove this Mickey Mouse government we have.

    111
    76
    • Anonymous says:

      And replace them with who ! LOL

      34
      5
      • Anonymous says:

        direct rule from the uk

        23
        5
        • Anonymous says:

          Yep. This inherently racist mindset is what Nicky Watson eloquently addressed in her viewpoint.

          You will always believe that UK direct rule is a better option because of your belief of inherent inferiority of Caymanians.

          There are two words I’d like to say to you.

          God Speed

      • Exbrat says:

        Donald Duck.

        4
        2
      • Anonymous says:

        Wayne Panton
        Marco Archer
        Winston Connelly
        and some new blood.

        Ezzard can keep some role to be an important counterbalance.

        34
        7
        • Anonymous says:

          I like this

          9
          1
        • Anonymous says:

          and just to add to the list at 7.23…

          Johann Moxam
          Ruthanna Young (i’d love to see her run, fingers crossed)
          Shyvon Hydes
          Chris Saunders

          – I’m very excited to see who comes out to run for our next Election. We need a clean sweep!

          #iAhRascal

          5
          6
      • Anonymous says:

        8:01, Members of a newly established Green Party with many Caymanian youth involved. The older generation of politicians have sold out their children. One has the basis now of major political change in Cayman and we can finally put McKeeva and Alden out to pasture.

        24
        6
  20. Miracle asked for? says:

    Miracle DELIVERED!

    95
    55
    • Anonymous says:

      Does this mean there won’t be a holiday 19th December 😢

      6
      11
      • Anonymous says:

        We still get the public holiday on 19th December 2019 and will have an additional public holiday whenever the new date is set by the court.

        More than likely no new Referendum Day date will be set on 20th January 2020 as the Respondents (the government) will let the court know when they expect to be in possession of the updated Business Case and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which is part of the basis for this action since this new information is required for voters to make an informed decision on the referendum question.

        In that case, the court will probably adjourn the matter until a date after the Respondents provide the above information that the Applicants (CPR and the National Trust) sued government to disclose which government has failed to provide so far.

        16
      • Anonymous says:

        Read the damn story

      • Beth says:

        Still get a holiday, government said it was too late to cancel.

  21. Anonymous says:

    Thanks to the fine leaders in CPR, the National Trust and a very special thanks to the wonderful young people in Protect our Future. You all have made an important stand to protect the future of Cayman in more ways than one. Kudos.

    138
    95
    • Anonymous says:

      Go forth leaders of CPR, National Trust and Caymanian young people and form a Green Party in the new year. We need to turn the Cayman Islands around and build a sustainable economy where developers do not call all the shots.

      25
      4
      • Anonymous says:

        Who are the brave members and co-opted members of the Trust? It took a lot of balls to say let’s go fight goliath, but they did, and just like that, the referendum on hold. POWERTOTHEPEOPLE.

  22. Anonymous says:

    Great! I hope this will give me to register to vote.

    70
    15
    • Anonymous says:

      They wanted a Referendum – they got it – now they trying to stop it…. go figure

      86
      124
      • Anonymous says:

        Disregard the people spouting this nonsense above, they will twist anything disregarding nuance and facts about the legal challenge

        They are liars through and through

        55
        21
      • Anonymous says:

        WE WANT IT DONE THE RIGHT WAY!!!!!!

        75
        36
      • Exbrat says:

        Comprehension isn’t your strongest skill…

        10
        1
      • Anonymous says:

        Would you rather they challenge the result after we go to the polls and say the government wins.

        We will have an even bigger issue because we will have signed the contract and have Verdant isle out their playing with the harbour. While the project and referendum result are up in the air.

        • alaw says:

          If we don’t build the dock our children will have to
          we can’t drop anchor for another 100 years!

        • Anonymous says:

          The way they are going they will challenge the result in any case. There is no threshold of yes or information that will satisfy some of the no camp. None. They cannot be reasoned with and they especially cannot lose.

          They will throw into question the legitimacy of the vote and integrity of the elections office. Anything for a sound bite.

          They will call for boycotts and the crippling of the economy, stand ins and protests.

          This project will never go ahead. Not with the litigious world we live in now and injunctions, judicial reviews etc being par for the course.

          1
          1
  23. Anonymous says:

    Fix the Dump !

    66
    6
  24. Anonymous says:

    I think Alden should now see the will of the people and know that we have a say..Why not just shelve this idea and stop costing the people any more expense..I know he thinks it’s his money to do with as he pleases but we would rather put the $9M and the recent $70K funds towards some of the priorities in this country..

    119
    85
    • Anonymous says:

      Not 70k
      $200-250k spent from September 2018 up until about September 2019 or October. The 70K which has just been disclosed in the last week or so was a new amount paid for the “high intensity public education campaign” leading up to the referendum in the last month or two not the total amount spent
      From my understanding the 70K is in addition to the quarter of a million already spent, the budget is rumored to be much higher as well anywhere from 500k to 1 million dollars

      And they will likely end up signing a new contract for the new referendum date adding even more costs because of their own cock ups

  25. Anonymous says:

    Its clear that the strategy by Trust and others against the port is to delay so that the preferred bidder pulls out. They are not really interested in what the majority of Caymanians want. They just want to maintain their well heeled status quo.

    115
    132
    • Anonymous says:

      Absolute nonsense, not to mention why are you lot suddenly changing the messaging, according to the government the bidders were going to pull out if the referendum was called: https://www.caymancompass.com/2018/09/25/government-referendum-would-kill-cruise-port/

      The petition reached the threshold – the bidders did not pull out

      The signatures were verified over 2 and a half months a delay cause singlehandedly by the government – the bidders did not pull out

      The Referendum was announced for December – the bidders did not pull out

      The only thing you pro port clowns have are lies, hubris and arrogance And the people will straighten you out whenever the vote is held

      156
      79
    • BeaumontZodecloun says:

      You are wrong about that. What CPR and National Trust want is a level playing field, a true democracy.

      Don’t worry though, that still won’t happen. There won’t be a level playing field unless the cruise port is decided by those who actually vote.

      At least now those formerly disenfranchised newly registered electors will be able to vote.

      We have to get this right. Regardless of what your choice is, please go out and vote! Make a difference!

      78
      9
    • Anonymous says:

      It’s not about delaying; it’s about making an informed decision.

      10
      1
  26. Let the pivoting begin! says:

    Cue politicians pivoting to the “No” side to save their phony baloney political lives in 3…2…1…

    91
    55
  27. Anonymous says:

    can’t wait to see Bush melt down on facebook at 3am this weekend

    122
    72
  28. Two Cents says:

    You mean with Premier, Min O’Connor-Connolly, Min Rivers, the AG and the DG all five lawyers in the Cabinet they couldn’t see that this was listing and couldn’t sail? Or was it because it was listing to their side that they didn’t mind.
    Pull them in yes Justice Owens, pull them in and make them give account for their skulduggery.
    The Premier was laughing in Savannah recently about how if he won the referendum nothing wasn’t going to happen between 20 December and 20 January. Well, now something will be happening – he’ll be shopping for expensive QC’s to represent him.
    I bet he ain’t laughing anymore.

    152
    74
  29. Anonymous says:

    Be interesting to see if Verdant now fly in lawyers to bail out CIG.

    53
    10
  30. Ironside says:

    Congratulations to all involved.

    This is proper democracy and peaceful activism at work.

    No matter if you’re for or against a new port and all that comes whether it’s a Yes or No on the day the count is final, this ruling is a Win for the Cayman Islands and All of its population.

    A favourite quote of mine I think fits this news today:

    “Power and those in control concede nothing … without a demand.

    They never have and they never will.

    Each and every one of us must keep demanding, must keep fighting, must keep thundering, must keep plowing, must keep on keeping things struggling, must speak out and must speak up until justice is served because where there is no justice there can be no peace.” —Frederick Douglass

    141
    71
  31. Anonymous says:

    Fix the damn dump.

    54
    6
  32. Anonymous says:

    Hopefully there will now be no public holiday. Why have businesses pay the increased cost of working on a public holiday when there is no reason for it to be a public holiday?

    30
    14
    • Anonymous says:

      Pretty much all companies have to pay. Under the law all employees are entitled to pay even if not working. Thanks CIG. But I most companies don’t pay. So honest businesses get double stuff. And since they rarely prosecute cases for these incidents the crimes continue…

  33. Anonymous says:

    Good! The Courts applying the Law when CIG obviously thought they could ignore it with impunity. Wake up time Alden – you’re a lawyer, you know where this is going.

    108
    101
  34. Anonymous says:

    I was choking on that vote date they were trying to cram down our throats! There was something stinking about rushing this thing through without being fair to every one. Thank goodness for democracy!

    132
    116
  35. Anonymous says:

    Yay, I will be able to vote now!

    114
    70
  36. Anonymous says:

    Yea, rest assured, having seen the protests and campaigners… majority are paper Caymanians and foreigners (making up numbers) campaigning against our present and future prosperity and planning. Guess what.. They will be the first to pack up their bags and ‘go back home’ when the money dries up here and who will be left to watch the tower…. poor Caymanians… Seen it play out all the other Caribbean Islands … don’t worry, them same Cruise Ship vacationers you now saying don’t spend no money will all be flocking back here when the CI$ is worth 20 cents on a dollar. Careful what you chase away now, as you may need to embrace it later! Mark my words.

    175
    163
    • Anonymous says:

      I think, ‘don’t spend no money’ says it all. You wouldn’t need these paper Caymanians or foreigners, (as you so delicately put your bigoted view) if you had the education and motivation to improve your own life and outlook.

      59
      37
    • Anonymous says:

      5,000+ Caymanians signed the petition, that is a fact you will never be able to contest, or dismiss

      But of course this arrogance and hubris displayed by pro port buffoons is the very reason why the vote is now being delayed

      You all have no one to blame but yourselves

      Vote No

      98
      65
    • Anonymous says:

      Idiot

      26
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      The Cayman Dollar ( KYD$/ CI$ ) is not a traded currency , in any currency market. Please enlighten us as to how it will be devalued to $0.20 ?

      49
      1
      • Anonymous says:

        4:51 It can’t. The person who posted that comment is an idiot. The value of the CI$ may be linked to the US$ at a rate of 1.25 but it’s not a real currency, more like indirect taxation. In fact, based on the bitching and moaning I’ve heard from visitors over the years, it might be smarter to dump the 1.25 rate and simply align the currency with the US$.

        6
        1
    • Anonymous says:

      I will be the first to leave when the port goes ahead and SMB washes away. When all the “paper” Caymanians, and tourists leave, and the mosquitoes take over, I wish you well you “Proper” Caymaninan

      47
      37
    • Anonymous says:

      Thanks – this paper Caymanian has all the same rights as any born/bred/raised Caymanian – and for that you got to thank CAYMANIAN politicians including the current speaker of house who was adamantly for granting status to hundreds and hundreds of people like me.
      Paper Caymanian, foreigner or whatever you got to call us – too bad we one of you now – LEGALLY- and that is all that matters.

      15
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      Like the good old days eh – touch forelock to massa and let him rape the land so you can eat the leftovers from his plate. The cruise companies are the new plantation owners, CIG the foremen, and the rest of us the field hands. What else do you call it when they take 80% of the ticket price on an excursion but expect you to pay all the costs and do all the labour. That’s why the crusaders don’t spend locally – cruise already got their cash. Yeah, let’s kill ourselves to get their left overs instead of dealing directly with the stay over guests.

  37. Anonymous says:

    We had better still get the day off!!!!

    26
    14
    • Anonymous says:

      LOL, the great Caymanian work ethic!

      55
      10
    • Anonymous says:

      It will be a massive Christmas shopping day and all the workers at the stores get double time! It’s a win for everyone, except Alden, who will be crying in his Scotch all day. Da wha he get!

      95
      15
    • Anonymous says:

      I don’t understand why the 19 remains a holiday!! How difficult would it be to cancel that? Yes I am a Caymanian and was prepared to go out to vote!!

      56
      5
  38. Anonymous says:

    Now we’ll do a drive to get even more registered voters! We going vote out all of you criminal MLAs before you know it!!

    89
    66
  39. Anonymous says:

    Do we still get the day off?

    CNS Note: Yes. It has been confirmed by the premier that the day remains a public holiday

    46
    10
  40. SM says:

    You ask for a referendum. You got it. If the process is questionable then go out and vote no. Serves the same effect as a delay given by the court. A no forces the government to make a stronger case. Just mobilise your no votes. Simple.

    24
    32
    • Anonymous says:

      Actually, not at all that simple, because the non-voters are currently counted as yes votes, and those 200-300 gazetted new “no” voters were deliberately excluded from participation, along with holiday-goers. The gov’t has added two questions seeking one answer. The CIG has also spent > KYD$200,000 + $85,000+ in-kind ads to fight the voters and convey a false logic path similar to your post.

      86
      52
      • Anonymous says:

        Truth . They used our money to fight us. They should have to repay the the people of Cayman Islands.

        16
  41. SM says:

    Have the court hearing now. Make it priority. Lots of time and money has been spent to get to this stage. Why compound it with a delay.

    39
    33
    • Anonymous says:

      Because you’re too dumb to know it.

      15
      2
    • Anonymous says:

      Where were these urges of expediency when the government was willing to delay the process by 2 and a half months to do a costly and unnecessary door to door verification of all 5,000+ names
      Instead of the standard way of verifying by cross referencing signatures on file, and selecting a portion of the names and looking for discrepancies then proceeding accordingly

      The government would not be now forced to delay by the courts if they had not attempted to manipulate the process to give themselves an advantage

      40
      29
  42. Anonymous says:

    CPR was scared they couldn’t get the numbers. They say they want a democratic right but they don’t even want a vote.

    101
    155
    • Anonymous says:

      We want a fair vote and we are now going to get one.

      89
      22
    • Anonymous says:

      Nope, the CIG wasn’t meeting its requirements for information dissemination. That why the case was brought forward and why it was allowed to proceed.

      Want someone to blame? Blame Alden and his friends for dragging their feet and setting a date under which they knew they couldn’t fulfill their obligations. Alden’s entire game plan has been “try and get away with breaking the rules and hope no one notices”

      The information they keep pushing is horrifically out of date to the point where it is not even relevant to the current proposed project.

      89
      11
    • Alden the 'Political Grand Strategist' says:

      The government manipulated the process to keep voters off the rolls and now no matter what those voters will be included, CPR didn’t do that, Alden Mclaughlin did

      The Government refused to enforce key provisions of the elections law, namely the prohibiting of selling alcohol during polling hours and campaign finance limits, CPR didn’t do that Alden Mclaughlin did

      The government is hiding the result by constituency because they are afraid that their members who are in constituencies with high ratios of signatories will buckle if they see their constituencies voting no, CPR didn’t do that Alden Mclaughlin did

      CPR wouldn’t have a case to make, if the government had just stuck to the way elections normally operate instead of trying to manipulate the process

      The only people who are scared they can’t get the numbers are Alden Mclaughlin and the members of his cabinet who have already spent more than a $250,000 on advertising, and months fighting the petition

      116
      9
      • Anonymous says:

        That little scheme won’t help his group one bit by mixing all the votes together. If this coalition government members were out agreeing, seen out with the premier and his deputy holding meetings, spoke in the LA or on radio in support of going ahead with the port , ignoring all the questions that so many in their constuencies have and could get no answers to then they are all complicit and their constituents could probably vote them out in 2021. It all could still backfire on them. If they had any common sense they should have demanded that the Premier and his deputy provide factual information that they fought to hide from them and the rest of us. ” sheep to the slaughter”

        26
        1
    • Anonymous says:

      The Premier’s arrogance caused all of this madness

      94
      12
      • Anonymous says:

        He thinks he’s so clever and that the voters are dumb muppets. Let’s get this referendum delayed until the next election (saving the country millions of dollars!) and then we’ll see who has a mandate on the port!

        42
        5
      • Anonymous says:

        So you’re against the port, an important part of our national infrastructure because of your personal dislike of the current Premier. At least you’re honest, still it’s a classic case of cutting of your nose to spite your face. Unfortunately in this case we will all feel the pain later. Have a peaceful holiday.

        10
        48
    • Anonymous says:

      There wouldn’t even be a vote if they hadn’t sweated blood to get the petition signed by over 25% of the electorate. To say they don’t want a vote having worked so hard to get a vote is just idiotic. The issue is the want the vote a) after 200+ Caymanian’s who registered for the specific purpose of being able to vote are allowed to do so, and b) after the public has an updated business case and EIA – instead of asking the public to vote blindly based on the Premiers assurances that these wont show anything to worry about.

      55
      4
  43. J|) says:

    Those who fought to have a referendum and thought that the government would interfere with the process now want to delay it further.

    How the table turns.

    172
    109
    • Anonymous says:

      No no no, I will be here all day to personally ensure each and every one of you goons is corrected about what is actually happening here. We fought to have a FAIR referendum, with a neutrally phrased question addressed ONLY to the issue that the petition dealt with – the cruise piers, not cargo just because the cruise lines threw that in as a government-requested sweetener – in which every person registered to vote in advance of the referendum could vote. Government deliberately chose to put the vote in the middle of the Christmas scramble, leave the bars open, and disenfranchise those who registered just to vote in this referendum AFTER the petition was verified. Government has tried every trick available to it and they have all failed. Now we are going to have what we petitioned for.

      Anyone who has been told they are too late to register: go do it now! There is no time to waste!

      98
      34
      • Axle says:

        What a load of bs. All this for 1-2% more voters who had ample time to register. If CPR is so confident that at least 50%of people will vote no, why the desperation for an additional 2%?

        I just wanted to go vote no and done.

        88
        2
    • Delayed vote? Thank Alden and Co, and Vote NO! says:

      CPR fought to have a fair referendum, not a vote in the manner that government was attempting to force
      The government set the referendum up while pissing on the principles of democracy and acting as if CPR and voters should simply sit back and accept it

      Just as with the last time CPR sought legal advice on the referendum bill
      They reached out to the government and made their case
      The last time the government listened to them
      and this time they did not
      This delay is entirely at the feet of Alden Mclaughlin and the rest of the members of cabinet who tried to manipulate this process because they feared they could not win

      CPR, keep up the good fight, Caymanians have your back

      85
      13
    • Anonymous says:

      Who cares? This just means we are getting somewhere and we have 2 holidays.

      18
      15
    • Anonymous says:

      Those who fought to have a fair and just referendum. Now have a chance of doing just that. The delay is for the courts to decide and assure a fair election on the issue. That is all that CPR ever asked.

      55
      8
    • Anonymous says:

      1:47 There’s a principle in health care, ‘Informed choice is when a person is given options to choose from several diagnostic tests or treatments, knowing the details, benefits, risks and expected outcome of each.’

      What CIG wanted here was for people to vote on the dock without really knowing the details, benefits, risks and expected outcome of that vote. Simple isn’t it?

      23
      2
      • JB says:

        We make choices based on as much information as we are given. If the information is not forthcoming then we say no. If in doubt we say no. If we do not trust we say no. Simple!

        We vote in the biggest referendum of them all which is general elections based on superficial manifestos and promises. Should we seek judicial review in that case because we are being asked to decide on a government without having all the facts and details? No we don’t! We go to the polls and vote based on what is before us, for better or worse. The port issue is no different.

        If we are really concerned about the port issue no matter what we would put life on hold and turn out to vote. Is it that the lawn talkers are just talkers and just can’t be bothered to turn out in their numbers. Is it that the date will conflict with Christmas plans which for the passionate ones is more important that the port? Folks, we have an opportunity to make a historic choice. We have a say on referendum day. This is a far far cry from many undemocratic processes worldwide. Lack of information is information. Who determines whose information is accurate? If you have faith you say yes. If you believe you say yes. If you don’t you just say no! SIMPLE. Folks get moving on this process.

      • alaw says:

        3:43 once you are not for the dock there will never be enough details!

  44. Anonymous says:

    Best news I’ve hear all day! Lets hope the new date makes for a more level playing field. That and hopefully all those 200+ new voters will get to have their say! 🙂 Keep up the good work CPR and the national trust!

    124
    13
    • Anonymous says:

      I see this has a waste of funds for both parties and the islands taking into account the monetary cost involved in having a public holiday. At least the employees will still be paid double time on that day and on the next public holiday. We may now need to delay the vote another three months because another 200+ may register in the next quarter of 2020 and may want to vote also.

      10
      31
  45. Anonymous says:

    another humiliation for alden and the do-nothing ppm.
    i know caymanians don’t do resignations but this is getting silly…

    109
    11
    • Anonymous says:

      You have to have honour to do resignations and that’s in short supply with our (dis)honourable members, who always have an eye on their bank accounts.

      28
      1
      • Anonymous says:

        Isn’t he on record saying that if the port fails he will resign? I would vote no for that alone.

  46. Anonymous says:

    YES!!!! There is a case to be heard!!!

    109
    8

Leave a Reply to SM Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.