Candidates must reveal government work
(CNS Elections): All candidates running for office in the 24 May General Election must reveal any work they or a business they own or have some financial stake in are doing with government. The law requires all government contracts held by or connected to candidates to be published in a government gazette before 24 April, a month before the Election Day. But only three more issues of the extraordinary gazette will be published before that date, so candidates must make sure the necessary information is in one of them to comply with the constitutional requirement.
Candidates can declare their current government contracts in the Tuesday 18 April, Wednesday 19 April or Friday 21 April issues. The deadline for each publication is noon on the day before, except for Tuesday’s, which is Thursday 13 April because of the Easter holidays. To publish the information, candidates must pay $600 for up to four pages, plus $150 for every additional page.
Elections officials told CNS that candidates are not required to submit information about contracts that have ended or bids that have been submitted but have not yet become contracts. The constitution requires would-be politicians to provide details of ongoing or existing contracted work directly with government or with government companies and statutory authorities.
A failure by candidates to publish their interests in the Gazette by the deadline, is a disqualifying criteria pursuant to section 62 (1) (g) of the Cayman Islands Constitution Order (2009). There is no requirement to publish for persons who are not party to any public service contracts.. The Elections Office recommends that candidates consult their legal counsel with any questions as to what should be published.
Section 62 (1) (g) of the 2009 Constitutional Oder: “Disqualifications for elected membership 62.-(1) No person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly who-(g) is a party to, or a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which is a party to, any contract with the Government for or on account of the public service and has not, within the period of one month immediately preceding the date of an election in which he or she is a candidate, caused to be published a Government Notice setting out the nature of such contract and his or her interest, or the interest of any such firm or company, in it…….”
Candidates can submit the information to the Gazette Office at Government Information Services, on the 2nd floor of the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue, Grand Cayman. Anyone with questions can call 244-1752, or email caymangazettes.gov.ky
Category: Election News
Why would we apply punitive fees which disincentivize full disclosure? More to the point, why are there allowed to be candidates with five pages of existent financial conflicts? Good Lord!
The loopholes in the declaration requirements are appalling. Candidates do not have to declare their intentional future conflicts if they are bidding on a contract that hasn’t been granted?! We have serious serious governance issues.