2017 General Elections
Finger to the people?
101 writes: Thousands rejoiced last Wednesday night on the triumph of the large number of independents being elected. Steve Tomlinson’s Reporter boasted its “Independents Day” headline featuring only the Independent candidates on its front page. This euphoria would last no more than five days, as the CDP and PPM parties merged to form a government […]
Tomlinson denies having power over any MLAs
(CNS): Dr Steve Tomlinson has denied that he has any power to tell the elected candidates what to do, even though he has been widely credited with causing the collapse on Friday of the first deal struck between the soon to be reinstated premier, Alden McLaughlin, and the new speaker, McKeeva Bush. The former hospital […]
Governor confirms government of ‘National Unity’
(CNS): Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick has confirmed that Alden McLaughlin, the leader of Progressives, has enough support to form a government with him at the helm and the former opposition leader, McKeeva Bush, as speaker after the two political leaders went to meet with her Monday. There are no further details yet about who […]
Alden gets as far as GAB with new line-up
(CNS): Alden McLaughlin appeared poised to secure the premiership Monday when he and Moses Kirkconnell arrived at the Government Administration Building at around 3pm in the company of McKeeva Bush, Capt. Eugene Ebanks and Austin Harris ready to form a Progressive-led coalition government with the CDP leader in the speaker’s chair. Although he offered Cabinet seats […]
PPM-IND coalition appears set
(CNS): Alden McLaughlin looks set to remain as the country’s leader in a Progressive coalition with some of the Independent candidates, following a weekend of deals, counter-deals, backroom talks and double-crossing. While the front bench line-up is not yet firm, McLaughlin said Sunday he “expected to have a government in place” and would be “going to the […]
The ‘picking off’ phase
Political Guy writes: As some may have predicted, the so-called alliance recently announced between the CDP and the Independents is falling apart. People may differ on whether this group would be a disaster or the right change for the country but many are likely on the same page on one thing: that this is more […]
Backroom talks on again over new government
(CNS): The ‘new new’ potential administration that was cobbled together just before midnight Friday that put McKeeva Bush back at the helm of government was on shaky ground Saturday morning, CNS understands. Various unverified sources suggested that the elder Independents, Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean, are not entirely enamoured by the idea of propping up […]
Change of plan already?
(CNS): An hour before midnight Friday night and some six hours after he signed a deal with the leader of the Progressives to form a government, citing the “interests of the nation”, McKeeva Bush appeared to have backed out of that agreement, where he would have been made speaker, and secured himself the premiership instead. […]
PPM and CDP cut deal for government
(CNS): Alden McLaughlin will be keeping his job as premier, while McKeeva Bush will be swapping his seat on the opposition benches in the Legislative Assembly for the speaker’s chair. In a brief statement from the two men Friday about their decision to work together, there was very little detail about the shape of the new […]
Observers commend free and fair election
(CNS): Voters in the Cayman Islands can have confidence in the result of Wednesday’s election, the team of international observers confirmed Friday, as they commended the process and gave the entire election the seal of approval. The mission of six observers, led by Steve Rodan, the president of the Tynwald in the Isle of Man, found […]
Suggested election improvements
Knot S Smart writes: This has been a vicious election cycle which has brought way too much division in our small islands. We used to be a peaceful society looking out for each other in a world filled with the many challenges of global competition and political turmoil. I believe that our current election system […]
