Privy Council confirms House transition

| 12/11/2020 | 24 Comments
Cayman News Service
Legislative Assembly in session

(CNS): The UK Privy Council formalised the change of the Cayman Islands’ Legislative Assembly into a Parliament on Wednesday, making the elected officials MPs instead of MLAs. The constitutional change is symbolic rather than substantial but it comes at the same time as members voted for the House to become an independent entity, which will have a real impact on the management of the political institution.

Cayman becomes only the third British Overseas Territory to have a parliament. The name change was agreed as part of a package negotiated by both government and opposition to modernise the Constitution that was agreed in 2009.

The LA sat for the last time under the outdated name last week and it is expected to reconvene under the new tag in December. The name change is supported by all members, who during the farewell debate to the old name described the transition as emblematic of the Cayman Islands’ political growth and maturity.

Premier Alden McLaughlin said the renaming was a significant milestone in the history of the Cayman Islands.

“There are indeed greater things to come, and we must never lose sight of why we are here, to not only serve those who elected us, but to also leave a strong foundation for those who follow us to build upon,” he added.


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Comments (24)

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  1. Anon says:

    You bloody fools. Alden has sold Cayman down the river for his knighthood. Read 126, which is what this is really about, and understand you have been shafted.

  2. JTB says:

    Does this mean McKeeva is now even more honourable than he already was?

    I didn’t think that was possible.

    Gosh, if he gets any more honourable we’ll have to declare him King of West Bay for life.

  3. Anonymous says:

    the “empire” turned into a living dinosaur with a huge body and too small a head. That is, the size of the head is hefty, inflated by many ministries and departments, but in this head hidden a tiny and not burdened with convolutions brain.

  4. Anonymous says:

    McKeeva Bush – facing trial on assault charges – Speaker in the Parliament.

    Why did the UK permit this change of name and status? Completely unnecessary and will only serve to give those ‘MPs’ more of a sense of their own importance!!

  5. Anonymous says:

    Independence here we come!
    No no nothing to see here…

  6. Anonymous says:

    New titles but still the same old useless, incompetent, homophobic, neglectful, shady, lacking people.

  7. Anonymous says:

    They say, their egos grew three sizes that day.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Now that they are Parliamentarians they can give themselves a nice big pay raise with their big new titles.

    The Cayman gravy train never stops.

    • Anonymous says:

      They tried to raise salaries but backed away. Listen to the debate on the Legislative Assembly Management Law. Kenneth Bryan and Ezzard. It took Chris Saunders to tell them to stop such debate.

    • Say it like it is says:

      7.22am You might think our new “M.P’s” might be encouraged by their new titles to turn up more often at the “Parliament”, but I doubt it. Never in the last 50 years I have been here, have I ever seen their attendance records published for the benefit of those who voted for them.

  9. Anonymous says:

    “Parliament” = more bucks! Watch and see!

  10. Anonymous says:

    Amen! A great new dawn for our Islands!

    • Hubert says:

      Basically all of the Governor’s power has been diluted with the new Constitution.

      He is now nothing more than a figurehead.

      • Anonymous says:

        8:12 am, if he was only a figurehead we would Not have weekly B A flights. Which would be good, no B A flights at this time due to the raging Covid over there.

        • Anonymous says:

          5:16, You have weekly BA flights because medical and COVID related medicines and equipment come in on those flights from the Motherland.

      • anon says:

        8.12am Not while we are still a colony.

        • Anonymous says:

          you clearly cant read! look at the changes, the Cayman Islands now have more autonomy. Thank you to the current Parliament members for supporting these changes

          • Anonymous says:

            Yes, with autonomy more opportunities for Caymanian politicians to feed on the financial gravy train. Sad.

      • Anonymous says:

        Not quite. They kept in section 81. Had that gone he would be a ribbon cutter.

      • Anonymous says:

        The Governor here, stripped of his powers with the new Constitution is now similar to the Governor General in Canada, who is the Head Of State, but basically has no powers to do anything significant. A figurehead only.

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