Mac resigns, leaving PACT in a tight spot

| 09/11/2023 | 121 Comments
Cayman News Service
McKeeva Bush on Radio Cayman

(CNS): McKeeva Bush MP (WBW) has resigned from the PACT Government. Bush sent a letter about his resignation to Governor Jane Owen on Thursday, just before he was due to appear in court for a case management hearing relating to his sexual assault case next month. No official announcements have been made, and CNS has confirmed that, as of 3:15pm today, the premier’s office had not received a written resignation from Bush.

But the former premier departure is bad news for PACT, which now has no margin for error and will need to depend on the deciding vote of the speaker of the House for much of its legislative agenda over the coming months.

With the departure earlier this year of Chris Saunders, followed by Dwayne Seymour in October, Bush’s decision to leave the government now creates significant uncertainty for the remaining PACT team.

There are now nine MPs on the government benches and nine on the opposition side, creating a hung parliament. This means that Speaker Kathy Ebanks-Wilks will be required to use her casting vote where necessary if Premier Wayne Panton is unable to get support from the opposition benches for legislation and important motions, as well as the Budget, which is expected to be presented to parliament early in December.

Extracts from the letter circulating on social media indicate that Bush has withdrawn his support for the PACT Government because of his view that the country is headed in the wrong direction.

“Our people are hurting like I’ve never seen before,” Bush reportedly told Owen in the letter announcing his decision to cross the floor.

Check back to CNS later for more on this breaking news story.


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Category: Politics

Comments (121)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I’m sorry but I refuse to read any more news articles about McKeeva Bush until someone paves my driveway and gives me a new washing machine.

    Seriously though, how how has this one baby Trump of a man been allowed to contaminate and derail Caymanian politics for so many decades?

  2. Anonymous says:

    Will all of you flip flop politicians grow a backbone and never take that drunken criminal back. That has been both sides mistake. Get rid of him and allow people to actually have some respect for you all.
    McKeeva is due to slope off, go to a casino, get drunk and carry on from where he left off before returning for this foray into govt again.
    Go away before you ruin the country- despicable man

  3. Anonymous says:

    The people are hurting like never seen before McKeeva! But you are the one who started all this with all those status grants you gave out and then you turned right around and sold us out to Dart just to fatten your own pocket. But I guess that hasn’t gone so well for you right? And you are the same one who wanted to increase our population to 100,000. You are only realizing now how the people of this Island is suffering because you are suffering yourself from your bad deeds towards your own people. But you know as they say what goes around comes around. Then PPM came along and followed right in your footprints and made matters even worse by changing the Immifration law and allowing expats that marry a Caymanian to get get Naturalization after just one year of marriage and other detrimental acts of destruction towards the Caymanian people. The Wayne Panton came along and promised the Caymannian people that his Government would be for the people. But which people are those? Certainly not the Caymanian people. He must have meant the business people and the expats who are coming here in troves now on work permits and Government contracts and pushing out the Caymanian people from their own country. They all need to do us a tremendous favor and pack up and go. They are all a bunch of self serving hyenas.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    Are status holders Caymanian or not?

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    • Anonymous says:

      In all respects other than ability to run for office it seems.

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    • Anonymous says:

      No.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Thanks. Author of the question here. I genuinely don’t know the difference and am confused by the different classifications of people. I think it goes like this but I’d like some to confirm or broaden my understanding please.

        1) Work permit holders can stay and work only for the individual and/or company that holds the work permit. They have to leave either when their work permit expires or after 7 years as rollover.

        2)Permanent Residents. They have unlimited travel mobility to and from Cayman as well as economic flexibility because they can have their own businesses. They can lose their status under certain circumstances and can’t vote.

        3)Non-native citizens. Can vote and do everything except run for office. Can’t lose their citizenship.

        4)Native Caymanians. Have all privileges and can run for office.

        Is this accurate? When people refer to status holders they are referring to permanent residents or non-native citizens?

    • Beaumont Zodecloun says:

      Yes. Status Holders are Caymanian. They can get their passports stamped with the Immigration clause which certifies that fact.

      No, Status Holders cannot run nor hold office. Other than that fine line, they are equal to born Caymanians. There may be a situation where Status Holders can renounce their original citizenship, and become full Caymanians, but I am not certain of the circumstances of this, only that it has happened.

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    • Anonymous says:

      No such thing exists.

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    • Anonymous says:

      A Caymanian status holder is entitled to vote, but not run for Parliament.

      If a Caymanian status holder has children, who are Cayman as of right, and then those children have children, who are Caymanian as of right, then those grandchildren of the Caymanian status holder are more than welcome to run for Parliament.

      However, Caymanian status grantees need to stop acting as if it is some atrocity that they are not able to run for Parliament. We accept you all as Caymanians, however, not Caymanians who can run for Parliament, only Caymanians who can vote.

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      • Anonymous says:

        And as a status grantee I for one am grateful and respect that.
        I am particularly grateful because otherwise, the thousands of Jamaicans in my position , if allowed to run for office, would overnight transform Cayman into the hell hole they left to come here.

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        • Anonymous says:

          stop slam Jamaica,just remember.nothing in Life last forever Good and Bad.Jamaica as 2 Million plus people How much Cayman?

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      • Anonymous says:

        The govt now represents a minority, expats need representation too

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      • Anonymous says:

        You’re right, we can’t allow status holders to run for office as they probably don’t have enough criminal convictions to get elected, save the embarrassment.

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    • Annonymous says:

      4.40pm No

  5. Anonymous says:

    People get a government they deserve. They voted in people they like as opposed to who could do the job.

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    • Sriteus says:

      Yep. Had a choice between Marco and Kenny in GTC and we choose Kenny. This mess is just a reflection of who we are.

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    • Anonymous says:

      And (other than Andre) who exactly can do the job? Need a full compliment not lone ranger and unfortunately they don’t exist.

  6. Anonymous says:

    why don’t both sides freeze him out by saying they won’t use his vote to stay-in or gain power?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Because, mac if a free agent and he knows where the bodies are berried. what ever side chooses to take the high road and ignore him runs the risk of the other side not doing so and gaining control.

      He’s a king maker, plain and simple.

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    • Anonymous says:

      He is Kenneth’s only friend.
      Birds of a feather..

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    • Anonymous says:

      You mean Cayman politicians displaying some morals and principles?! Hahahaha very good. I like your sense of humour.

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    • Anonymous says:

      To be fair, the Progressives froze him out after the election explicitly. They could certainly confirm that still stands, but PACT is the group that made a deal with him to form their government.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Was Bush pushed out by the PACT because they would not kneel before him, or was he pulled out by the PPM in their quest for power?

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  8. Anonymous says:

    He’s still the member for WBC, because WBC voters are too scared to oust him.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Please can he step down so we can have a hotly contested by-election in West Bay West.

    That should then determine who will be in power.

    No need for an entire election in every riding. Mac needs to go asap.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Mac’s long time UDP right hand man , and traveling companion I understand will be running in West Bay..so no change there unless Mario is successful this time round.

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    • Anonymous says:

      So many cheap appliances and water tanks. So little time.

  10. Anonymous says:

    People of this country are hurting – cos you keep assaulting them

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  11. Kathy has a good head on her shoulders. I’m pleased she is Speaker of the House and I know she will vote in the best interests of the Cayman Islands. Long may she continue!

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  12. Anonymous says:

    JUST GO!

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  13. Anonymous says:

    I love how he says “our people are hurting like I’ve never seen before”.

    He is the one who sold his (and the Island’s!) soul to developers! Squeezing out Caymanians. Fingers should be pointing at him for causing so much of this mess.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Panton is now finished. That is what you get for making underhand deals to seize power. He should now step down and call an election, not that there is anyone worth voting for with the levels of corruption we have in government.

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Mac will be DP or Speaker in the next PPM-MAC government. The options are bad and most voters terminally confused.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    What an odeous man. He and Kenneth Bryan are the primary reasons why Cayman politics needs a major reform.

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Very simple answer.

    Juliana switches current affiliation and becomes Premier.

    Thanks Juju, you are welcome Roy, PPM and rest of country.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Do not be distracted from the fact that we have a shambles of a Premier who is inadequate, inept and incompetent. Wayne is to blame for the messwe have found ourselves in. He would stop at nothing to win in Newlands, and then he would stop at NOTHING to become Premier. Remember he ran on a platform of decency and transparency and the first thing he did was join with Mac, after campaigning that he was all for #SUPPORTING HER, Wayne is the problem and must now go, not only from Premiership but out of Newlands as well!!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Thanks Wayne for nothing! top on your bucket list was to be the Representative for our quaint but beautiful community of Newlands and the Premier of our Beloved Cayman Isles. You accomplished both but in so doing you really let us down. Enjoy your retirement, don’t give us a thought while you are out on you boat wondering “Wha happen”. We should have known better!

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  19. Kman says:

    Mac, please do us all a favor and just resign from politics now. You can also take just about all of the others with you and never ever return. Thanks for being a disgrace.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    A snap election will do the country justice now.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    He has resigned from PACT but he is still an MLA/MP, so he is still feeding from the trough. And expect him to try and remain relevant over the coming months, with more questionable disclosures and more distraction from getting things done (if that was even possible). Better for all of us if he resigned as an MP too, and cause a by election.

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  22. Anonymous says:

    Yes people are hurting. When the mass Status Grants was given away, didn’t he Bush think of the ramifications. Don’t all blame the Pact Government,

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  23. Anonymous says:

    I am behooved beyond words seeing the alpha males of our generation Dwayne The Rock Seymour and now Big Mack McKeeva stepping down. Ma brethren whoever fills dem shoes got big shoes to fill I tell you.

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  24. Anonymous says:

    Can our elected members put their egos and personal agenda’s a side for the best interest of Cayman.
    Please all MLA’s show up for work every day to earn the very large salary you are paid. We have real issues that need to be dealt with!
    PPM please stop trying to destabilize the government every chance you get and gloating when a member of PACT resigns , this is becoming childish and is not helping our country.
    While I don’t think PACT is doing everything right, the opposition needs to embrace some collaborative effort to work with them so we become a stronger society. Imagine what can be achieved If the love of our country is put first!

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    • Anonymous says:

      It’s not gloating, it is what a democratic opposition usually does. I.e. Prepare themselves to speak up, stand up and fill the gap. The Pack couldn’t get it together among themselves so why should we expect the Progressives to “embrace collaborative efforts to work with them” it hasn’t happened since the Pack huddled together and coddled the mess that they are. It is not The Progressives’s job to “fix them” . Some things are unfixable. If you are in doubt ask those who walked away.

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  25. Anonymous says:

    Good. With Jon Jon, Saunders, and Mac gone, PACT is worthy of support. PPM, you hist attracted flies. Like flies to shit.

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  26. Anonymous says:

    wayne’s original sin was to rely on him and bring him into his government.
    been all down hill since then……….

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  27. Anonymous says:

    Does Mac actually think he is part of the Government? If so, in what capacity? Isn’t he the mouthpiece of a small WB parish?

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  28. Anonymous says:

    Despite all the recent bad moves made by Mac, he has done good for this country in general.

    However, after saying that, I can’t seem to get over the Status grants that have impacted us and will do so for many years to come. Just imagine 3,000 grants that can and will be passed on down to generations at the expense of indigenous Caymanians!!!! The Immigration Law needs to be looked at seriously and changed for the sake of our children.

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  29. watcher says:

    Please let us all know when this long overdue “leaving” is official. Is it possible that it will be a public event? Please say yes. I want very much to drive down there and film his leaving, possibly dragging his left foot behind him. Oh, glory.

    Then, my facebook page would be complete.

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  30. Anonymous says:

    “Our people are hurting like I’ve never seen before,”

    I presume this was after mcbeater started whacking them while drunk at a bar?

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  31. Anonymous says:

    My fault with the government is the greedy self serving board members they appointed to run our statutory authorities. They say birds of a feather flock together and they have shown me their kin.

    I say throw them out and let’s get better governance at all levels.

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    • Anonymous says:

      New government will hopefully scrape PACI clean and remove the shameless self serving ones motivated by political ambition , and personal gain.
      Their self rewarding stipend and pay increases impact the entire community who will have to suffer the increased port costs.

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  32. Anonymous says:

    Wouldn’t it be great if we learn he was fired and has post haste put in a resignation letter to try and save face, – OBE stylie 🙄

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  33. Anonymous says:

    Just go away man and take Kenny with you.

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  34. Anonymous says:

    Bye bye darlin’ hope we don’t hear from you again.

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  35. Anonymous says:

    PPM are always willing to work with Mac. Heck everybody is always willing to work with Mac. He is a one man political foundation stone.

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  36. Anonymous says:

    Possible Silver Lining: We may again get a Speaker from outside the Parliament. This would
    a) give the Government back their 10-9 majority without politicising the Speaker’s post through regular tie-breaks; and
    b) give a district back their representative in Parliament; and
    c) give a greater degree of independence (at least on paper and in appearance, even if party-affiliated Speakers the world over are scrupulously neutral) back to the Speakership.

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    • Anonymous says:

      All for the low, low price of the Speaker’s salary no longer being “subsidized” by having one less MP’s salary…

      Though, if anyone, I would support Ezzard in that role.

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  37. Anonymous says:

    ‘our people are hutting like ive never seen before’
    yea thanks bro enjoy the rotten fruits of your selfserving labour. this is a direct consequence of the economy YOU established.
    all these career politicians have made them and their backers rich off sucking the blood from this place

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  38. Anonymous says:

    His contribution will not be missed.

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    • Anonymous says:

      He was a pax on Cayman. Good riddance, decades too late. Those who voted for him will endure his disgrace, but they will not care as they are of… lower education. Will this be posted???

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    • Anonymous says:

      don’t you mean ‘his retribution should not be missed’ ?

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    • Anonymous says:

      His contribution , has been the singlehanded destruction of what used to be the envy of the Caribbean, if not the world.
      Thanks Mac, what an effing legacy.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It will be sorely not missed.

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    • Anonymous says:

      With him gone and Saunders disgraced, a couple of PACI board members could feel their wings clipped and their protection reduced…

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  39. Anonymous says:

    One step closer to getting rid of the uneducated self serving rabble cobbled together to feed from the trough.
    Please Roy , get together with Andre and put some decency back into our administration.

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    • Anonymous says:

      sorry but if you think those accross the aisle arent there to serve themselves at their own trough then you REALLY HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION

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    • Anonymous says:

      Nothing stopping the worst from running again.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Except they will switch sides in exchange for ministerial posts. Kenny will be across quicker than a ray up a drain pipe if he thinks Wayne can’t maintain a majority.

  40. Anonymous says:

    Right like he had it going in the right direction with all his shenanigans when he was in charge. This guy is a real narcisist.

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    • Anonymous says:

      He got us in this mess, with a little bit of help by PPM. It’s clear as day what is going on here with all of them. Self-serving positioning before next election, got to keep a slot at the trough.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I find myself disagreeing with your opinion quite frankly the honorable Sir Big Mack McKeeva is a dignatarian a champion of the people he humbling represented never ever profiteered in his (I believe that’s his preferred pronoun) position and role model for the youth not to mention a charming gentleman to the young ladies. History books will be written to this noble steed and monuments and buildings erected in his memory and achievements #goosebumps

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      • Anonymous says:

        You’re either related to him or smoking crack.

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      • Anonymous says:

        *tears*

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      • Anonymous says:

        Finally someone has the courage to say it. I too am behooved seeing this role model of our youth the notable warrior helping out the community with every inch of his pecker to guide us all to a brighter hope and change future. I hope the song Return of the Mack comes true on island. Cayman needs Big McKeeva like the desert needs the rain and I miss you yeah.

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      • Anon345 says:

        🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Gold! I love the poetic sarcasm! 🤌🤌😆

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  41. Elvis says:

    Good god man. Just go live your life and stop trying to play politricks

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  42. Anonymous says:

    As if the 9 across the floor can do any better. We really are a first rate shambles.
    Allow Cay Status Holders to run.
    call election for Emancipation Day, and free us from 30 years of utter amateurism, corruption, cronyism and so on.

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    • Anonymous says:

      No status grantees will be able to run. Keep dreaming, because it will never happen.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Arnold did it in California.

        But Cayman is a racist discriminating county so your right it will never happen.

        Thank the lord all status holders have an exit plan and you don’t!

        20 years from now you can have your 150,000 population with 100,000 expat little Kingston crime infested traffic jam.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Soon come! Caymanians don’t realise that some expats actually love it here, want Cayman and Caymanians to thrive but they’re too proud to let an ‘outsider’ guide them in the right direction.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Who do you think the status holders are? Mostly Jamaicans. A lot of people that weren’t supposed to get it. People who had just come to the country, and let’s not forget there was even one that was in prison somewhere. McKeever gift that keep on giving. He is the reason that Caymanians are extinct.

      • Anonymous says:

        And that is why this country will continue to decline. Your pride is coming before your fall.

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    • Anonymous says:

      We do not want status holders to run. You are not a Caymanian and therefore should not run our country. Sorry. But that’s the way it is. If I went to your country, I wouldn’t even be able to vote, much less run.

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  43. Anonymous says:

    The original unflushable turd

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  44. Anonymous says:

    The product of Panton-style leadership: not even Jon Jon and now Mac is willing to remain on this sinking ship.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I was thinking the same thing. It must be really bad with them.

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      • Anon345 says:

        you ever stopped 6o think that maybe Mr Panton is holding them to account, and they can’t do as they feel, why they jumped ship!

  45. Anonymous says:

    Good riddance

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  46. Anonymous says:

    That’s certainly cause for celebration! Sometimes the trash takes itself out, but thrice in a row? Unfathomable.

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  47. Anonymous says:

    Just do us do the country a favor and leave politics altogether.

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