Register lag means no election before April
(CNS): The UPM government is now expected to limp on for almost five more months as the governor is unlikely to call a general election on behalf of the premier before 1 April to prevent disenfranchising new voters. The current election law, which the government has been advised to change, provides a three-month review period for checks on all new voters after they register. The deadline to make the 1 April electoral roll is 1 January, as the deadline for the New Year register has already passed.
This means that if an election was called before April, anyone who has registered to vote since 30 September will not make the electoral roll that will be confirmed for the election. As a result, the earliest date now would be in April, with parliament being prorogued in February.
Although the lag in the register leaves what is effectively a lame-duck minority government in place, the opposition members and the four MPs who resigned last week are in support of propping up the UPM administration to allow the basic functions of government to continue. However, they will not support any contentious legislation.
Following the PPM’s announcement on Monday night that they were prepared to support the government’s need for a quorum so parliament can meet to tackle non-contentious issues, such as amendments to financial services legislation, Andre Ebanks MP offered his support. He said that after speaking with Opposition Leader Joey Hew MP, he agreed that supporting the minority UPM Government was the best way to proceed for the sake of stability.
“The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Joey Hew and I spoke, and we also concur on the matter of attending Parliament later this year to consider important financial services legislation, which will include amendments to increase financial services licence fees that will allow the Government to collect higher revenue in 2025,” he said.
“MPs Heather Bodden, Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Sabrina Turner and I all share the view that the next general election should be as early as practicable in 2025, so that the people of the Cayman Islands can choose to elect a new group of principled leaders committed to good governance, professionalism, innovation and a shared vision to take our three Islands forward to a brighter future for this and future generations of Caymanians,” Ebanks added.
Hew stated Monday night that the opposition would not support any contentious legislation,0 and party officials have confirmed that this includes the controversial and unpopular changes the UPM had planned for the National Conservation Act.
Anyone who wants to vote in the 2025 General Election who is not already registered has until New Year’s Day to make that electoral role. At the moment, there are 23,529 people on the register, though there are estimated to be around 6,000 more people who are eligible to vote but have not yet done so.
For more information on registering to vote go to the elections website.
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Category: 2025 General Elections, Elections, Politics
I entreat well-educated, professional, critical-thinking Caymanian men and women to consider running. If honest, hard working citizens do not claim their right to be elect and be elected, crooks will. Do not leave our democracy at the mercy of cartels and other back-door dealers.
Here is an idea:
Have an election now. The term will be until the next planned election. Let the MPs pay the cost of it themselves since they can’t seem to get it together. Then have another election, as planned next year.
They created this mess so let them suffer the consequences.
CNS Where do the number of eligible new 6,000 voters come from.
Does the moratorium on contentious legislation include Seymour’s proposed immigration changes to restrict status for those who have been here 15 years?
That is not contentious. Nor does it require legislative change. Only those that deserve it, and will not weaken Cayman by getting it, should be granted it. That is the law today and has been for years. The government has not consistently followed it, hence the problem.
Juju Ken Mac Saunders Jay and Seymour have obviously identified 6000 supporters whose votes are essential to keep them in power.
What’s best for Cayman takes a back seat to what’s best for me.
It depends where they’re from doesn’t it.
If you’re a likely voter for the cabal, then no problem.
If not, no way.
This is all more stalling so O’Connor-Connolly can continue to make her deals with Bush and gang. Dart will get a real sweetheart deal for the dump and Bush will finally get CHEC in to do the port. This Governor is the worst that Cayman has ever had, she is a puppet for O’Connor-Connolly
incompetence till the very end.
any comment Mrs governor?
Anyone for a spot of afternoon tea?
The fact that a huge number of permanent residents that are members of the commonwealth are not afforded the same rights to vote (not run) in the elections given the United Kingdom affords that to them is nothing but clear disenfranchisement.
Even worse is that CAYMANIANS, are disenfranchised because they were born overseas and don’t have Caymanian grandparents and therefore can’t run.
Talk about discrimination, wild when you think how many of our people used to go to Jamaica etc to give Birth. How many candidates does that rule out alone?
Birth overseas does not (by itself) rule anyone out. Kurt Tibbetts and Tara Rivers (for example) were both born overseas. Provided they were both Caymanian from birth, they are eligible to run.
It’s not discrimination. This is common practice in many countries across the globe. Citizenship isn’t automatically given on being born here. You have to earn it or be born to a multigenerational Caymanian. If you can’t respect that then leave. The sense of entitlement in your comment is mind-blowing.
Voters can petition the Governor to dissolve parliament and call elections. Voters have the authority to do that at any time.