Mario to battle McKeeva for WBW

(Press release): Today, after spending 16 years in private life since his last general elections bid in 2005, Mario EbanksMario Ebanks: Candidate for West Bay West. Chief Human Resources Officer at the Cayman Islands Airports Authority. Biography: • Eighth generation Caymanian, with great-grandparents from... More is declaring as a candidate for West Bay West in the upcoming General Elections to now be held early on 14 April. “In presenting myself for service and as a future member of Parliament (MP), I am aware that I am subjecting myself to continued intense public scrutiny, to which I am confident and comfortable,” he stated.

“I am happy to put myself forward to provide a credible and ethical choice for the voters of West Bay West.”

Ebanks has always been a keen advocate for nation-building and all things Caymanian, and for over 30 years he has endeavoured to be a ‘servant leader’, working effectively behind the scenes in various community and public policy advocacy initiatives.

However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opportunity for the Cayman Islands to reset its strategic vision and future goals and priorities has given him a renewed zeal to contribute as a political candidate in this election.

“My second and compelling reason for becoming a candidate in 2021 is the conduct and publicly-known behaviours of the long-serving incumbent MP for West Bay West,” Ebanks said. “This gave me and hundreds of other people grave cause for concern. However, to my surprise this same sense of concern and desire for a positive change was shared by many others.”

Several months ago Ebanks began receiving calls, requests, and representations from outstanding citizens and voters across all demographics of West Bay West and West Bay in general, who asked him to put his name forward for the 2021 Elections.

“After praying, listening, contemplation, and getting the support of my wife Lovenia, I decided to harken the ‘call’ and I was encouraged by the words from Isaiah 6:8: ‘Here I am…Send me’.

“It was not, however, until the morning of 1st January 2021, when I was reading my new Daily Devotional book that my wife bought me for Christmas, that I received a clear confirmation of my decision. In that Devotional (‘Radical Wisdom’), a quote from the philosopher Thoreau jumped out at me. It stated: ‘Men lead quiet lives of desperation… and go to the grave with their song still in them’. Right there and then I decided that I would not be a part of that statistic… I would throw my ‘hat into the ring’.”

The candidate’s deep desire to make people’s lives better was also rekindled every year when he presented the annual Mario EbanksMario Ebanks: Candidate for West Bay West. Chief Human Resources Officer at the Cayman Islands Airports Authority. Biography: • Eighth generation Caymanian, with great-grandparents from... More Award for overall Outstanding Performance at the Sir John A Cumber Primary School Leaving Ceremony.

“Every year as I present my Award I look into the eyes of these children, and I see their dreams and aspirations deep within their eyes and faces. On those occasions I remember empathizing with them and their families and asking myself: Who will stand in the gap for them? Who will protect their futures? Who will fight for their dreams? Now, I am that person.

“Therefore I am making a bold and courageous step in faith, to benefit all of our citizens, children, and future generations. My heart is in this cause, my personal interest and career have been put on hold for this cause, and I ask the voters of West Bay West for your vote on 14 April.”

Explaining his choice to run in West Bay West, Ebanks said that he has lived in all West Bay electoral constituencies since 1968, and has friends, family, and supporters in all of them. But for the past 28 years, he and his wife, Lovenia, have lived in Coral Gables in North West Point, which is in West Bay West.

During those 28 years, he served for 25 years as Chairman of the Homeowners Association (until he retired at the Annual General Meeting last year). “I have always preferred to live within the community and neighbourhood that I represent as their MP – to remain close to them whether sharing their happiness or celebrations, consoling them in their grief, or helping them through moments of conflicts or emergency.”

Major Manifesto/Agenda for Action initiatives

In consultation with our volunteers and constituents in West Bay West, Ebanks is presently receiving feedback and fine-tuning the Manifesto or Agenda for Action of his campaign, and will continue this approach with the voters of West Bay West and the community in general. The main points are:

• If elected he will immediately advocate for some minor amendments to the Constitution, and the main area of improvement would be to establish term limits for members of Parliament, of no more than 20 years in total. “No longer can we have our House of Parliament be a ‘convalescent home’ for career politicians who are tired and offer no solutions,” he said. Additionally, he will seek to enable a recall provision for the voters to remove MPs in cases of improper conduct or behaviour. This will be augmented by a proper Code of Conduct and an Ethics Committee of the House;
• A variety of programmes and policies will be pursued to promote and empower the youth, families, parents, and communities;
• He will commission a comprehensive review and overhaul of all employment related legislation, including Immigration, Labour, and Pensions, as well as immediately mobilize the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee. Within an early time horizon, he will ensure that a proper plan for the succession of willing and able Caymanians to key positions in both the public and private sectors, while at the same time providing security of tenure for non-Caymanians without creating a stranglehold on the necks of future generations;
• He will ensure that Caymanians are given fair access to meaningful employment in the Cayman Islands, and ensure that Caymanians are not marginalized in the workplace;
• He will pursue a host of community and district initiatives, in areas such as emergency preparedness, cottage industries, beach access, coastal protection, adult education, and access to affordable decent housing;
• He will commission a long-term development plan for these Islands, which will be all-inclusive and include: the economy, culture, societal expectations and norms, the marine and land-based environment, carrying capacity, and acceptable heritage and aesthetics;
• He will pursue various transportation strategies, focusing not only on large expenditures on new roads, etc, but also aggressively embracing a number of proven and effective non-monetary policies and initiatives;
• He will protect small businesses, will promote green technology and other initiatives to combat climate change and global warming, and will also review the cost of doing business as well as the cost of living for ALL residents;
• He will implement the district councils within the constituencies in West Bay, working together and taking advantage of all synergies.

“I know that this will be a tough battle, but West Bay West… IT’S TIME. It is time for a new, prepared and experienced member of Parliament to represent you. It is time for you to elect someone who you can be proud of, and who will always be an exemplary role model,” Ebanks said.

“Our campaign will not engage in mudslinging and character assassination. We will discuss important issues and solutions. We will engage the aspirations of future generations, and I PROMISE that I will not embarrass you but instead will be a dependable role model who embodies character, honesty, integrity and compassion. Additionally, I will serve the people of West Bay West and represent YOU fully and fight for the causes and improvements that are important to you.”

He continued, “For a long time, too long, West Bay politics and campaigning has been about personalities and ‘treating’. Our campaign will not engage in gutter politics but instead will be forward-looking, embracing the future challenges and solutions, and preparing our lovely West Bay West and our beloved Cayman Islands for the dawning of a better future.”

Ebanks concluded, “Everyone who knows me can attest to my work ethic and passion, and much of this comes from my father. Every night before he went to bed and as I stayed up late studying or doing my high school work, he would often encourage me with the words of another author: ‘Heights by men attained and kept, were not achieved by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards through the night’.

“Therefore in this fine tradition, in this endeavour, we will not tire, we will not slumber, we will not falter… until the battle is won!”

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