Parliament may not approve boundary report before elections
(CNS): It has been almost eleven months since the Electoral Boundary Commission finished its report and made recommendations to the Cayman Islands Government about how to address the significant disparity between constituencies across Grand Cayman, but in that time, the UPM government has failed to tell the people what it plans to do.
The report should have been brought to parliament so that MPs could debate the options and decide how to redraw Cayman’s electoral landscape before the country next goes to the polls, which is expected to be in April next year.
Speaking to CNS, Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart noted his concerns about the government’s lack of action on the report, which was delivered to Cabinet in August last year. However, he said that when the MPs met recently at a Parliament Business Committee ahead of the now postponed 5 July meeting, Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly had indicated a desire to discuss the report with the opposition.
“I eagerly await the outcome of that,” he said. But given the time that has elapsed since the report was finished and with the election campaign set to start in less than eight months, he remains concerned.
“We must avoid rushed, last-minute changes to electoral boundaries,” McTaggart said. “Rushed boundary changes could potentially disrupt the election process, confuse voters, and create chaos for the Elections Office, with severe repercussions for our democratic process.
“Unless my concerns can be assuaged, boundary changes debated and agreed upon this year may be best left for implementation for the 2029 general election. This will allow for careful consideration and thorough planning, ensuring the best outcome for everyone involved. But we will see how this all plays out,” he added.
The CIG has given no indication whether or not it will be acting on the EBC’s findings, and it is clear that time is running out to organise the recommended changes, which would affect most constituencies. Steve McField, one of the three members of the commission who undertook the difficult work of balancing constituency headcount with traditional communities, recently said he was angry that the government had ignored the report.
McFeild said it was “disgusting” that the report was still sitting with the CIG with “no word… and no debate” about the findings and whether or not the government intends to accept the recommendations. He took aim at the administration’s overall lack of planning or policies, which he described as “dysfunctional”.
“You cannot have an Electoral Boundary Commission give a report and… then it just sits there, and nobody, not an MP or a member of Cabinet or anybody, has said… let us look at this report,” he said.
The imbalance that currently exists means the electoral landscape is less and less democratic for those voters and residents in the bigger constituencies as their vote becomes less influential compared to their neighbours in smaller seats.
On Grand Cayman, the difference in the number of registered voters in the smallest constituency of East End to the largest in Bodden Town is significant. As of 1 April, there were 1,654 people registered to vote in Bodden Town East, the largest constituency, compared to the neighbouring seat of East End, where there are just 754 voters.
The two smallest constituencies are both in the Sister Islands: Cayman Brac East, which has just 458 registered voters, and Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman, which has 566. The Constitution mandates that the Sister Islands will always have at least two representatives, regardless of their size. One result of this is that the current premier was elected by less than 460 people or 0.5% of the estimated population of over 90,000.
While the boundary commission has recommended a slight shift to re-balance the number of voters more evenly between the two Sister Islands seats, the focus was largely on Grand Cayman. The EBC sought to create a better balance between the constituencies within each of the larger districts of West Bay, George Town and especially Bodden Town, as this is the fastest-growing district in the country.
The register of electors has been updated for 1 July and is searchable, allowing voters to check their details. However, the new list that should show the number of voters in each constituency and whether or not the overall register has increased or decreased from the April headcount of 23,470 is not yet accessible.
See the Electoral Boundary Commission 2023 Report in the CNS Library.
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They had all the time in the world to approve the changes but didn’t. Could it possibly be because certain ministers see the changes as NOT in their personal interest? Well, duh. Do ministers EVER do what’s right for the people rather than what’s best for themselves? I know, I know… the question answers itself.
Didnt the Commission also recommend increasing the number of MLAs? Like we need that. Already have 19 elected officials at enormous expense for the population of a small town. Meantime steering clear of the real hot potato of balancing the East End, North Side and Bodden Town disproportionate representation.
Amend the constitution immediately to eliminate unfair and unequal power given to those on the sister islands.
Sure Ju Ju will be all in favour of that.
We elected Bernie Kenneth Jay and Blunders. What did we expect would happen ?
Did we really believe that these jokers was going to solve caymans most complex problems?
If we don’t get it right in 2025 and elect these self serving jokers … cayman as we know it will be changed for the worse forever.
They are not going to approve the report.
They are going to do what Cayman government of the day always does with reports that they dont like or require difficult decisions – simply not table it and ignore it until people forget. Then commission another one if the subject comes up again. Rinse and repeat.
Mr. McField must be furious with Julianna, after all the hard work and dedication that the Commission members put into the Report.
Yet I do not hear him calling her out on it, like how he likes to call out others
You don’t speak out against someone who is going to be part of the government regardless of who wins.
Logic tells me that this Electoral Boundary Commission should be completely independent and that it is inappropriate for MPs to have influence and need to approve boundaries!!
Very inappropriate that this goes to the MPs to approve.
But they can approve $60million to build a completely unnecessary high school, in the matter of minutes
Wouldn’t it be fun if, instead of having candidates run in a certain area, they were randomly assigned to an area a week or two before elections. Then, instead of candidates (especially sitting MPs) having time to buy their votes, they would actually have to think about what’s best for the country.
Loving this idea!!
Given that hundreds of newly minted Caymanians were not accounted for in any way in the report, nor perhaps thousands of persons who will be becoming Caymanian in the next year, it is good that it not be approved. The whole process has been an embarrassment.
In addition, constituencies need to be of approximately equal size, as per the constitution, at least until we can get what we really need: Island-wide voting.
Electoral Boundaries should be redrawn to comply with the obligations in the Constitution. No excuse for not doing so.
No shit Sherlock. The proposed changes don’t reflect the actual needs anyway.
Any electoral boundary changes should always be done at least 2 years before an election.
But of course this self-interested bunch of parasites we call the UPM would say that. Worst government in the history of the Cayman Islands.
THE UPM needs to grow a pair and do their job, not what they think is their job, but deal with the critical issues such as this. Democracy is one of the cornerstones of the Cayman Islands success and it should not be stifled or subjugated by mindless politicians who don’t even understand that they are not a totally legitimate government, for while each one individually may won a seat by constituency vote; they were not elected by the majority of the people of the islands and therefore have no mandate other their own selfish political desires and that of their handlers.
UPM at least try and do something worthwhile before you are kicked out of office at the next election.
another day of failure and incompetence by this shambolic government….
any comment Mrs governor?
They are not going to approve the report.
She knows the state of play. Complete rejection of the report.
They’re following Trump’s playbook…just delay delay delay and things will eventually go the way you want, not the way they should.