Coalition gov’t faces possible coup
(CNS): The possibility of four members of the Government of National Unity supporting a ‘no confidence’ bid in Premier Alden McLaughlin over the Domestic Partnership Bill could see the administration collapse just seven months before the Legislative Assembly is prorogued for the 2021 General Election. Since Governor Martyn Roper announced that he would implement the bill after the LA failed to pass it, the opposition has allegedly been seeking support for a no-confidence vote and might have secured two Cabinet members.
It is understood that the official opposition, led by Arden McLean, has been working behind the political scenes and has in theory already secured the support of the two CDP members of government, House Speaker McKeeva Bush (WBW) and Captain Eugene Ebanks (WBC), for the vote.
CNS has tried, unsuccessfully, to contact McLean, who has denied leading this effort in other forums, suggesting that it is a citizens’ initiative. However, a survey and petition currently in circulation indicates that it is the opposition leader who is leading the charge on this issue, as they call for the country to support his efforts.
Alongside these efforts to bring down the government, CNS has learned that Bush has suddenly ended the undefined leave of absence he took from parliament over the assault charges he faces and is back in his job. According to three direct sources, who wish to remain anonymous, the speaker is back at work. There is no formal process for forcing his continued absence and it would be up to the LA to vote him out.
The speaker is in charge of the Legislative Assembly’s agenda and has the power to ensure that a no-confidence vote comes to the floor. However, in order to vote in a no-confidence motion, he would need to formally resign because a speaker can only vote when the House is tied and must do so in favour of the status quo.
While Independent MLA Kenneth Bryan (GTC) has not confirmed his position to CNS, Ezzard Miller, the Independent member for North Side, made it very clear he will not support a no-confidence motion.
“I am having no part in this,” Miller told CNS, adding that he did not know the details of the attempt to bring down the government. But he said he would not support it and had been in favour of the DP bill and the need to uphold the rule of law without undermining the institution of marriage.
Meanwhile, CNS has learned that Health Minister Dwayne Seymour and Education Minister Julianna O’Connor-Connolly may also be in support of the no-confidence vote as it relates to the Domestic Partnership Bill. However, while the pair have publicly declared their opposition to the bill, CNS has not been able to confirm that they would support such a motion and effectively bring down their own government.
A no-confidence motion requires two thirds of the House to vote in favour to succeed, so even if those two ministers did support it, the best the opposition could hope for is ten MLAs. Nevertheless, the premier would be put in an impossible position if any of his ministers supported the motion. McLaughlin could hold the government together with the loss of the two CDP members but not the loss of two ministers.
Holding the coalition together for the last leg of the term, despite his recent increase in popularity over his handling of the COVID-19 health crisis, would be very difficult if the two Cabinet members make such a public declaration against him — even abstaining from the vote would send a clear message that the government was no longer unified.
Cabinet ministers are bound by collective responsibility, and while McLaughlin lifted that obligation for the vote for the DP bill, hoping his front bench would all see the need to support it without being forced to choose between it and their jobs, it would be impossible for him to do that in a no-confidence vote.
According to the survey and petition, which have been circulating online this week, clearing stating that the no-confidence vote is being organised by McLean, the constituencies have been rank based on the number of supporters for the motion so far, though the numbers remain low.
Savanna, held by the veteran opposition MLA and vehement opponent of rights for the LGBT community, Anthony Eden, tied with Prospect for the most support, though this seat is held by Austin Harris who supported the DP Bill.
This was followed by Bodden Town East, held by Seymour, who voted against the bill and has also used the LA as a platform for discrimination against, and derision of, the gay community during the debates on this issue, lending support to the notion that the health minister will back the vote.
“We only have 12 days left to sign this petition directing your politician to support the Opposition Leader in filing a no confidence motion against the Premier who brought the Domestic Partnership Bill into parliament which was defeated so now the Governor decreed that he will try to make homosexual unions law instead after 12 days,” the social media message accompanying the petition and survey stated.
By 8am Thursday, 402 people had signed the petition. According to the election office there are currently 21,824 registered voters.
McLaughlin was philosophical about the attempted coup, having already been through one in the past after a previous, much more short lived attempt by the opposition to form a government with Bush. In a short statement to CNS, he said the election season had clearly begun.
“Indeed, it seems the Leader of the Opposition is pushing for an early election, even as we continue to navigate a global pandemic. The lust for power knows no bounds. What is coming is coming, and we will meet it when it comes,” the premier added when asked about the coup.
Despite what could be a successful attempt to bring down the government, or at least one that will shake its solidarity, during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unlikely to stop the governor giving assent to the bill.
While the opposition and church leaders are attempting to raise money for a legal action, any effort at a stay via a judicial review or Grand Court suit is unlikely to go beyond a short delay, given the court’s position on the issue, legal experts have told CNS.
Chief Justice Anthony Smellie made his position on the law clear last March when he legalised same-sex marriage. The Court of Appeal was clear when it overturned that ruling but issued a directive about the need for some form of marriage equivalency, which is the main reason why the DP bill was eventually brought to the parliament.
Sit down and please be quiet. Vote of No Confidence. What a pile of BS.
Why did you not shout this loud when your fella politician beat the sh** out of the barmaid on SMB?
You all are persons who only speak to speak. There is nothing of quality or sense worthy of readers’ time.
Do your job and fight for the things that are truly impacting the way of life for Cayman. The DPB is NOT one of those things.
Consenting adults are asking to have their lives enhanced. This will not make any impact on your fossil lives if you mind your own business and get on with solving more pressing matters.
I am embarrassed
So am i.
Listen folks ,nothing of this sort is happening, this is a pile of rumor.
It’s disgraceful. Why on earth would they create a crisis like this while we’re in the middle of a pandemic and its resulting economic impacts? Talk about wasting tax payer dollars. What is wrong with people?
“Fossil Fools”
and
“Crabs In A Bucket”
…come to mind…..
4.35pm The day those words don’t come to mind then Cayman may eventually progress.
Three of the crabs, Mac JuJu and Jon Jon have made a statement denying their intention to break up the unity government.
Arden, MAC and Julie want to be Premier. Are we, the voters, so dense as to support their bid for power through a coup? Well, not I.
It makes very little sense for intelligent persons to cast votes in Cayman as the majority of the electorate do not want any one that is intelligent. They voted out a highly educated competent individual like the Hon Marco Archer which shows the mentality of the Caymanian voting public.
Educated but arrogant 5:44.
Yes, Mr. Archer is very educated; he is also very distant – and GTC felt it.
So what? Are yo really that shallow and ignorant?
To 5:44 That was the result of a poorly planned chess move by the Premier. Archer is very educated, but that constituency wanted heart, not degrees.
and look where that got them. Feckin Heedjuts!
This is all a bit out of date given statements on radio this evening by JO’C-C and Mac. Arden continues to embarrass himself and Cayman.
Mac the Knife (in de back)!
On brand. Alden can now presumably disclose/whistle-blow terms of their 2017 power-sharing deal. Someone should.
….then McKeeworst and Ju Ju fight over who will become Premier??!! Wha a mess!! Crazy power hungry idiots!!!
And Arden as well
Every one of them has more faces than the town clock! They will sway whatever way is necessary to keep their $200k a year plus perks. Honesty, integrity, duty, conscience, accountability? Yer havin’ a giraffe mate! Et tu Brute?
Last time I checked, the town clock had only one face. I’m not sure that supports your argument.
Ummm… four….
Good riddance to this arrogant buffoon. Personally I support the bill but not this “premier’s” bull. He is a catastrophe for the country and the people.
Well you would rather a semi-literate such as the present Speaker of the House, who is in fact the de facto Premier?
Joey Hew is less qualified in every way than McKeeva Bush both are semi-literate while displaying the same characteristics yet owned by dart and the wealthy in Cayman. Why do you think that is the case?
Where there is smoke…
There’s a brisket?
IT looks like the Opposition and their cohorts are doing an about face. Blasted Scamps.
Only problem is some ministers may calculate that not being a minister any longer might be better for their reelection. They might rather support the reverend ministers’ views than run on their own performance (or lack of) on the front bench.
Fret not, for it’s a pay cut they are not willing to take.
I hope you are right. It might be only a brief cut until a new cabinet forms and some expect to land on their feet.
Mac is looking for power once again!
Uneducated greedy power hungry goons going to destroy Cayman, down to the corrupt levels of Jamaica.
Welcome to single member constituencies. You were all warned beforehand, but everyone thought it was the way to get rid of McKeeva. Now look where you are – sensible men like Wayne Panton and Marco Archer don’t get elected and instead we get Austin Harris, Kenneth Bryant, David Wight and Barbara Connolly. It’s like having 18 East Ends where 18 Arden McLains can get elected.
And with due respect Osbourne Bodden was not replaced by any one any more intelligent than he is in my estimation
True dat
It’s Panton and Archer’s own fault they didn’t get elected. Got to focus. Mac knows this.
He’s likely to get it if he’s not in jail, and maybe even then. Alden is a lame duck, Who will lead the PPM? If half are elected as independents or some new thing, Mac looks like the winner.
The governor didn’t take the time to understand and appreciate that nothing good could have resulted from him suspending democracy and ruling by fiat. The DPB could have been law if Alden insisted on collective responsibility. It most likely would have resulted in early elections and a new mandate from the people.
Can you please explain exactly how a suspension of democracy is what the Governor has initiated?
It’s in our democratically voted on Constitution.
Awesome, let’s get rid of all of them. Maybe keep Alden and Ezzard.
Not a f&@!
Exactly what the colonial masters want. Jump on each other personalities. Fight each other. Discredit each other. Say it’s ONLY someone from across the “Pond” who can do the job.
Perfect for their historic “Divide and Rule/Conquer” strategy.
On the other strategy, there are the “house slaves” (Irish remember you were slaves too), who are in Colusion and taking bribe (power, money etc).
Be Free from the oporessive system and lets work together for our Future.
Oh my the rule of jaw vs democracy Gabriel vs Lucifer . Crown vs Dependent. Who is going to be the winner in all a dis certainly not the people of the Csyman Islands. It seems that yet again our psyche of Divisiveness is showing its ugly Head again.
If your brother or sister our mother or father were to be gay would we Be fighting against their rights to enjoy rights same as you woman or hetererosexual man. Come on now be honest now Would you?
Politicians need to set the example of unity not subscribing to discord and dissent, after sll they made an oath to “serve and protect”. That oath did not differentiate gender, religious or sexual proclivity. So why then can they not sit and trash this out as “elected representatives” of the people, why can’t one of them be bold enough to call a meeting of both sides to discuss and compromise or is it just about being Premier or being a Minister or being able to impose their will on us the people.
It’s time our politicians grew up , it’s time that politricks are put aside and the good of country be discussed sensibly and reasonably, after all we thought they were reasonable men when they were chosen to lead.
Don’t shoot the Messenger y’all look within and do what is right not for self aggrandizement or pride or whatever else is driving this discord amongst us. We can work it out can’t we or is it that the values we eschew in words of love of God, Country , Equality And Rule oof Law are just buzzwords used as a means to fool the people and your intentions are totally contrary to what you speak.
Show us your true colors Opposition members and Government members. if you are our Leaders .Then Lead will you.
Sorry but you elected this bunch, most of them multiple times. I get your point but when are you going to stop voting them in?
Hey I’m reporting you to the authorities how do you know who I voted for SmH just out ya na,e nah
wow they made all of this out of this.
Its Now August isn’t election due May 2021?
Why are we talking about a coup when if you vote in a new government they have no time to do nothing plus paint a picture to the world of instability. moreover this same sex marriage issue is being driven by the UK and it matters little who is in government.
Such a CHRISTIAN attitude towards their fellow man being exhibited by these MLA’s and those protesting.
Christians arent perfect, like yourself. Being a christian is someone iust trying to do their best in life. No one is perfect bro. A Christian advising someone to be their best is just the same as a LGBTQ advising someone to be their best. So we are all equal at this point.
We aren’t anywhere near equal, and that’s the whole reason why the laws MUST be changed by intervention.
Speak for yourself, I am indeed perfect.
You’ve got a comma splice there, Mr. Perfect
It would be hilarious if John John contributes to Alden being voted out, especially after alden stupidly supported John John through the whole wife breaking curfew and his donkey.
This circus is the reason I don’t register to vote
You should register to vote or else you have no rights to comment or complain.
It’s called freedom of speech
And it’ll never die
There are no substantial options. What is the point?
My sentiments exactly…LOL
You sound reasonable enough so please register to vote! The only way out of this mess Is for voters from the 21st century outnumbering the dinosaurs and corrupt voters at the polls. Your vote can really make a difference, especially in small constituencies where some people win by like 9 ballots.
The Speaker’s trial should be held before the election.
Absolutely!!! His trial should be held NOW!
Isn’t it scheduled for December?
If this comes to fruition, you know that he and his lawyers will find ways to defer the Court case.
there in only 1 thing worse than the current government and thats the oposition.
if this ‘coup’ succeeds…the governor must bring in direct rule asap.
Arden couldn’t even manage a chicken coup.
The time has come for direct rule in these times of crisis.
Canada is probably a bit busy with their response to COVID-19.
Direct rule it is then.
Bring it on 🙂
The world will just have to see how hypocritical the UK government is… formulating its regiment at a time like this to FORCE the people … smh ..
Cowards!
Yes… because without this regiment they would have no way of subduing a tiny territory with no armed forces and no martial prowess, 0 defensive fortifications and no real supply of arms and munitions
I mean seriously the amount of stupidity it took to type that comment out is only dwarfed by the amount of stupidity it took to look over it think to yourself ‘yeah this is worth posting’ and then proceeeding to hit the “post comment” button
The world has no idea where the Cayman Islands are, nor do they care.
I’m not Alden’s biggest fan, but Lord help us if Arden takes over!
Or Mac! Is it possible he is engineering all of this so as to consolidate his power before the trial in December?
He still could be tried in August.
Mac and Arden will do to Cayman what Pindling did to the Bahamas.
5.20pm Pindling took back Bahamas for Bahamians. Mac gave Cayman to Jamaicans with one fell swoop of the pen and we will never recover.
How many Jamaicans got PR or status under mac? Numbers please, no assumptions.
2;300
Interesting only one thumbs down (as of 7am Friday). Even Mac supporters cant deny it, or maybe they’re thumbs up in support of Mac being behind this? Oh well, we’re all screwed I guess.
Really.. Arden as Premier would set us back a decade or more.
30
Can we have a coup to overturn the opposition ?
Haven’t they already had at least two this term?
But we don’t want him.
Homophobia is endemic here and is part of the culture and religion. Just because the rest of the world has moved upward and forward does not mean Caymanians want to. Gemme dat old time religion. They will be forced to do this under extreme duress. Expect lots of fighting, backstabbing,and gnashing of teeth as they are pushed out of the darkness and into the light.
Most Caymanians want to. We just do not make a lot of stupid noises.
As is racism and bigotry. Anyone living here for more than a year should understand this. This rebellion by McLean, McKeeva et al has shown voters and the rest of Cayman’s residents that our government is unfit for purpose and has clearly outed and marked the detractors. Their discriminatory views simply don’t fit with a first world, all inclusive human rights framework.
Doesn’t matter. Voting no gains more votes than it loses.
They don’t give one shit either way about your issue, it’s just an opportunity for them.
The Opposition is quite clearly worried about the next election , they need a defining issue to run on and they can’t run on a bad virus response because as of yet as much as I dislike Alden and the PPM I have to admit they did a half decent job, hence the focus on this issue which the churches will be more than happy to back them up on.
Its a shame that all of the opposition excluding Mr Miller have decided to go along with this, I am extremely embarrassed that my own representative in BTW is going along with this foolishness because he had previously indicated that he was willing to compromise on this issue (as most of them did prior to the compromise being presented to them)
In any case it is of little consequence, as much as Julianna and Dwayne want to continue this holier than thou charade, neither of them are likely going to be willing to give up their minister’s pay and cushy job to help Arden Mclean get an early election so this bid will likely fail even if Mckeeva and his lapdog rebel
Does it get an early election or just a pissing contest over the premiership? Can’t Alden be voted out as premier? If so, they could end up as ministers in a different cabinet until the election.
There is no VONC for just the Premier If a VONC is successful it would be a VONC in the Government as a whole the members of the LA would then have a period of time (traditionally in Westminster Parliamentary system the period is around 2 weeks give or take) to form a new governing majority and traditionally the official opposition would get a first go at forming a new government, if the Official opposition is unable to form a government then the Governor would accept any grouping of 10 or more MLAs who go to him and say they will form a governing majority.
But in Cayman currently any successful VONC would essentially just be calling early elections because unlike parliamentary systems in Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia our MLAs are not opposed on policies or positions for the most part, it is all just conflict caused by their egos, desires and belief that they all deserve to be the top dog
In those other countries, minority governments can form where even without a majority a party can rule by compromising with smaller parties on a case by case basis of policy substance (Canada currently has a minority Gov for instance) But in Cayman there is no compromise to be made on policy, these people are just puffed up town Councillors fighting over who gets the fancy titles and extra pay.
The only way Governments in Cayman ever form between different political groups are by offering them ministerial positions (of which there are a limited amount) or by creating a scheme to increase the pay of your bench in exchange for their votes (which is the current Councillor system the PPM have been pushing to set up since 2017
Long story short, in any other country a VONC would just lead to a new Governing coalition, but in Cayman almost certainly would lead to early elections because all of them think they should be in the Cabinet which is untenable, but there are only a limited number of seats and someone would be unhappy with being left out and collapse the whole deal in response
Not even remotely true, plenty of gay Caymanians who keep to themselves because they don’t feel like being victimized and demeaned like Chantelle and Vicky have been
I was excited about headline as thought it was for Alden allowing the return of the old abuses of the immigration laws or trying to push through a conflicted port project, or not speaking out against the assault of a bar manager…but then I saw it was the stupid DP thing…geez they aren’t even asking for acceptance by your antiquated churches..just same rights as other couples.
Exactly. So many issues could have triggered a no confidence motion long before now. I shake my head in disbelief and then hang my head in shame that opposition to same sex unions is what has brought this about. I am officially disgusted. I am as pro Caymanian as they come and am descended from the first recorded settler in the Cayman Islands. But if the UK wasn’t in the grip of a pandemic, I would seriously consider leaving and starting anew in the wake of this. Since I can’t really go anywhere for the near future – I will just not vote in the next election. There seems to be no real choice if you are progressively minded.
How about running in the next election?
Let us Expats hold political office as well!!! We can run this country for the benefit of everyone!!
Every Caymanian, for at least 25 years, should be able to hold office in my opinion. Regardless of how they obtained the citizenship.
Agree but the ones that made it onto Mac’s handout list need to be excluded.
I get what you’re saying, but that’s unfair to those on McKeeva’s (and others, including some PPM nominees) who really deserved it. They should have to rescind Cabinet status an get it the normal way if they want to run for office. Of course, Caymanians would never allow this, so it’s moot.
As long as the FCO agrees .. that is all that matters
Thanks but no thanks. Last thing we need is any more colonizer Brits or Saffas treating us like plantation slaves!
@12:30pm – you’re not getting beaten or raped….what are you complaining for?
LOL
Never happen. We will burn the place down first.
Eejit.
One silver lining might be that the FCO/Governor now has full reason to formally dissolve the LA and implement necessary and long overdue changes to governance, Constitution, and Elections Law in the Cayman Islands. Let’s use this opportunity to raise the bar and disqualify those with criminal/abusive case history, corrupt associations, set educational criteria, consultative representation criteria, end double dipping, disband the crony Boards, fund/staff ACC, Ombudsman, SIPL offices, and revise SIPL back to a passable best practice standard. This is all low fruit for the Governor’s office with the full remit to get these things done. This is the logical next step since our MLAs are determined to prove their own unsuitability.
Welcome to North Korea.
Uh, not really, this is a UK Territory last we checked. Delusional thugs are exhibiting sufficient imprudence to merit a further and more substantive administrative intervention. Many more welcome it than disapprove. Let the governance changes be deep and disqualifying for many, Mr Roper. Cayman is now counting on you.
Arden still salty from when Kurt handed over to Alden instead of him. He won’t even be re-elected in East End, let alone Premier.
Let Sanity Continue to Prevail:
The members of the PPM are who voted for Alden McLaughlin as party leader. Arden McLean refused to participate in a leadership selection vote for fear of losing to Alden. He has lucked into his current position as Opposition Leader but does he truly lead the Opposition? Can he truly lead the country? I think not. I remember well how scared the country was when that photo appeared later one Friday following the election and it seemed that he could be Premier. Our Islands had a collective sigh of relief once sanity returned and a Unity Government was formed. Let sanity continue to prevail and let us support the Premier and his Government.
The real leader of the Opposition is the Member from BTW. He is the one that does all the work.
This is so foolish. Complete waste of time! Leave our Premier alone. The Election is 9 mths. No confidence vote will probably result in gay marriage.
Unbelievable, the homophobic dinosaurs just refuse to recognize human rights.
It’s not just the DP Bill that’s got MLA’s (and the country) tipped over the edge, it’s the corruption. Pain and simple, people are sick of it. And now with Joey Who telling us SMB is going higher (that’s not to anyones benefit but Dart and maybe 2 developers) we’ve had enough. 30 years of so called amazing progress and capitalism and financial services success for what?
Look around – a few gated communities so the lawyers and accountants and a very few self employed can pretend they live in the caribbean. The rest of us? we can’t pay CUC bills; we can’t afford $10 coffees’; we cant fill our supermarket trolleys; we can’t afford premium health care and certianly not dental; we can’t afford education; gas for cars; insruance for cars; much of anything. we sit in traffic all day long. we watch dart smash apart the SMB area with mega roads, bridges, tunnels. For who?
Not Caymanians. Not even most of the paper Caymanians. Its for about 1%.
So enough. ENOUGH. Throw a rock in the ocean and let’s see who the ripples fell.
And their plan to fix this is what?
Lmao and you think Arden and crew can solve this?
Jon Jon for Premier!
You’re talking out of your Ass
Nice pun!
Hey Diddle Diddle –
Jon Jon for Premier? When the cow jumps over the Full Moon, then maybe Jon Jon could be Premier.
And like the little dog, I’m sure we all cant wait to see such fun. Then again Trump is President so maybe nursery rhymes are indeed real and anything is possible.
Trump is a good President, USA was flourishing before the c-virus and when USA is flourishing so is Cayman.did u forget how Good Cayman was doing before the c-virus cane along, think.man, think
You mean… when the donkey jumps over the moon right?
Eeyore for Deputy!
Pray NO!!!! Don’t need an ass or a donkey.
Excuse me, Mr.11:36 am, but did you mean,
“Don’t need more asses or donkeys”?
Please don’t even joke about this.
The best and brightest in Cayman Sir Jon Jon. Though McKeeva coming back after acquittal.
However, he will only be permitted to address the public during a full moon while riding a donkey.
Clearly all the down votes and dislikes don’t get sarcasm…LOL. Can you imagine Jon Jon meeting heads of state when traveling abroad…? If y’all thought Porsha was bad when she was PM of Jamaica…
So they’ve been “Unity government” for three years but will pretend to be opposition just in time for the next elections?
Right! Very politically expedient!
This is really poor timing for McLean. Alden is enjoying a peak in popularity in my circles. He has being doing a good job and importantly has shown his humanity in the press conferences.
If he pushes a stupid road designed to spend public funds on private interests or raises removing environmental protections again, I will change my mind.
But for now, I am getting mad at all the stupid time wasting that people are doing.
This won’t be good for the country, especially with the situation we are in now.
We need to show the world that we are stable and progressive.
All we have is the FS industry right now and this kind of nonsense makes us look ridiculous.
I hope their aversion to the DP Bill is worth the prosperity of this island.
The Domestic partnership bill is relevant to the financial services industry too.
What makes Cayman attractive to capital markets and funds business is that we are a stable jurisdiction with a reputable judiciary and strong commitment to the rule of law. If the government will not, or cannot, comply with a court ruling on this, funds managers are likely to wonder just how reliable the courts might be when it comes to issues closer to their wallets.
Other jurisdictions are available…
The only thing that wealthy people care about is where they can maximize the return on their investments. If they could do that legally in North Korea they would do just that.
Don’t fool yourself.
“We need to show the world that we are stable and progressive.”
Are you saying we are at this time “Stable and progressive”? If we keep the same leadership we will never be Stable OR Progressive!
A change in leadership will have zero effect on the end result. They all know this.
You’re probably correct but they want to be able to tell the backwards thinking voters that they did all they could and the UK forced the DP Bill on them so they will stand a chance of getting re-elected. Hopefully the voters will be smart enough to get rid of them once and for all.
I’m assuming the people who are signing the petition will have their signatures and identities checked by the elections office to make sure they are actually registered voters. We wouldn’t want to have one set of rules for one peoples initiated petition and a different set of rules for another, would we now.
A thousand like for this comment!
Expats want Gay marriage.
Caymanians do not.
Government wants more Expats, preferably millionaires and billionaires, to become Caymanians.
Guess where Cayman culture is heading?
Human, Civil Rights, and Laws do not share any kind of equivalence with hobby religion beliefs, folklore, or leaps of faith. They are not subject to popularity contests, and even if they were, I would wager strongly that most Caymanians aren’t anywhere near as exclusionary as the CMA hateful – many of whom aren’t even Caymanian.
This is not true. Plenty of Caymanians want equality for all. It’s the only way out of the dark ages.
False. Born and raised 10th generational Caymanian here, and I’m gay as a two dollar bill
Unna voted for the constitution that gives me the right to be Atheist.
Gay sex was legalized in 2000.
Get. Over. It.
@9:51am – I am a Caymanian and I support equal rights for the LGBT community. So does my Caymanian sister, my Caymanian brother, some of my Caymanian aunts, my Caymanian uncles and my Caymanian friends.
We are here and we will support the LGBT community. Because #lovewins
It was a Caymanian woman wanting to change the laws so she could be married to another woman for the sake of their rights & those of their adopted child. There are lots of gay Caymanians. Going right back to when I arrived here in the 80’s.
These fossils need to leave. It’s time for young, fresh Caymanians to lead the country. Time for the newer generations to take over.
These criminals should have been evicted a long time ago.
No good asking tbe Governor anything.
He is just as bad as the rest of them.
In all of my 45+ years in Cayman, I have never seen such a passive aggressive Governor.
This man has a huge pedigree in China, fluent in Arabic, raised an army, supervised a terrorist event response in Algeria, etc etc.
Why send him to Cayman?
WHY?
Why send him to Cayman? To combat [people] like yourself and drag the islands to a modern and fair level of equality for all.
I am sorry, but I beg to differ. People like him don’t waste time with simple folk.
This is wonderful news!
Compelling a period of UK administration would be very good for good governance, and I look forward to it. Hopefully this will allow us to finally reshape a different standard of governance in the LA and CIG. It’s been very expensive for Caymanians these last 20 years, and it’s long overdue!
This move is not at all surprising and Alden’s deal with the devil is coming back to haunt him. Some of us know that the architect of this plan is not Arden Mclean, but has been on the drawing board for quite some time. I find this extremely worrying.
The Premier should never have released the members of his government from their obligation to vote for the DPB. He indicated that supporting the bill was simply a matter of upholding the rule of law so there was no reason for him to release them from their responsibility to support the government. The Premier and his lust for power refused to do the right thing and that is why we are where we are today.
It would have been better for the government to have collapsed and the people go to the polls early to select new leadership with a new mandate.
If he had insisted on collective responsibility for the DPB then Seymour, Connolly and maybe Capt Eugene would have resigned to vote their ‘conscience’ and the government would have fallen.
Alden chose the path most likely to preserve his government, recognising that he couldn’t force DP through but that the governor would do so if it failed.
The real villain of this piece is Arden, using an issue human rights to further his personal ambition. What a sleazeball.
Perfect analysis – even the part about Arden being a sleazeball.
Especially that part.
A sleazeball is too good of a word to describe him.
Ask Dessie 12:35
I hear what you are saying regarding Alden but does not give him much credibility as a leader just makes him smart politician looking out for his best interests,and his power..
A good leader doesn’t need to manipulate/trick his followers in order to maintain power.
That’s his modus operandi, it’s served him well so far.
The Premier should have done the right thing by not releasing the members of his government from their collective responsibility. Collective responsibility is not there exclusively for the pleasure of the Premier.
It is my opinion that the Premier did not want to end his political career exposed as a failed leader.
Idiots, all of them.
This is really embarrassing for this country but especially in the current climate. What a bunch of jokers. Well done to the voting public, what a mess. I seriously hope we see some dynamic, educated and driven Caymanians take up politics. There are plenty around. The country and the people need you!
Stop being so dramatic – its politics. Things happen. Parliaments have erupted in violence in some countries. Remember when it came to light that members of the UK parliament were using tax payers money to pay for porn and to build moats around their houses? Stuff happens.
The point here is that Alden has surrounded himself with people who appear to have become so disgruntled that they may be considering joining in a no confidence vote – they arent being swayed by the Opposition to make that decision. Think about it – Alden cannot be Premier next election. Who wants it so bad they can taste it? Who wants it so bad they would vote against their own government as a chess move to get it?
A legal challenge to the Governor’s authority to enact the Domestic Partnership bill against the wishes of the legislature would not be the same thing as a challenge to the law itself. Speaking as one who supports the bill, I think it would probably be beneficial to have that issue considered by the Courts.
That said, the shenanigans currently in progress are more redolent of a kindergarten than a serious legislature. The sooner this crowd of inadequate, self-serving non-entities are removed the better.
I couldn’t agree with you more! Whilst I’m neither here nor there about the Bill, I would like to understand how the constitution that was negotiated and agreed with the UK can be unilaterally amended! Laws yes but the constitution?
I continue to be surprised how so many people do not understand that the Caymanian Court of Appeals has already held that the Caymanian Constitution’s guarantee of everyone’s right to a private and family life required the legislature to implement a framework for same-sex couple’s unions to be recognized under the law, and also found that such a framework would not be incompatible with the Constitution’s guarantee of the right of opposite-sex couples to get married.
Our own courts have already determined that the Domestic Partnerships Bill is not incompatible with, and is in fact required by, the Constitution.
By voting this bill down and failing to provide an alternate framework, the LA ignored its Constitutional obligations and the requirements of our own Court of Appeals.
The Governor is only acting because the LA has failed to do what is required under the current law. They aren’t amending the Constitution.
..and this is what the MLAs especially the jack ass from East End is conveniently forgetting. He of all persons know the ruling by the Grand Court. He professes that he is a constitutional expert. Does he even realizes who makes the laws in this country?
I hope that the good people of East End is seeing through his charade and his selfish wanton desire to be Premier at any cost.
“Man and woman” is in marriage law. “Found a family” is in Constitution.