McLean: Election will be referendum on decency
(CNS): Decency and accountability will be the heart of the opposition’s campaign platform, according to a statement released Thursday welcoming the early election. Arden McLean, the official opposition leader, said that both had been in short supply during the current administration. The member for East End said Premier Alden McLaughlin’s move on Wednesday to call an early election was an acknowledgment that he has no control over his government, which is united in its lack of respect for the people.
“The early election on 14 April will be a referendum on decency and accountability,” he said.
He described the premier’s surprise and “hasty” decision to move the election date rather than face the issue of Bush’s conviction as an “unprecedented move… to sidestep… the contentious issue of whether to remove the current speaker”, and said the silence of government members was reprehensible.
Bush’s criminal conviction for a drunken violent assault on the manager of a Seven Mile Beach Bar was always going to be an issue in this election, but given that he is very unlikely to lose his seat, it is the failure of the rest of the Unity government members to act that will now be the focus.
McLean said that many Caymanians have mothers, daughters, granddaughters, aunts and other relatives living overseas, and if any of them became the victims of a vicious drunken beating by a senior member of a government, they would rightly expect some level of accountability.
“The premier is also the minister for Gender Affairs,” McLean said. “This lack of response calls into question whether he even understands the responsibility associated with this ministry.”
The opposition leader also pointed out that the entire incident could have been prevented if the premier had acted when Bush was arrested in 2017 for the battery of another female worker in a Florida casino.
“At what point do we say enough is enough?” McLean asked. “We are confident that there is a vast majority of decent people out there, decent people who will use this election to send a clear message that perpetrators of violence against women and their conspicuously silent accomplices will be held to account.”
It is not clear yet who will be aligning with the ‘official’ opposition team. Alva Suckoo
Alva Suckoo: Newlands MP Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Political Career: • Deputy Leader of the Opposition- May 2017-Present• Elected Member of the district of... More, the deputy leader of the opposition, recently confirmed his re-election campaign in Newlands as an independent but made no mention of who he was intending to run with. Speculation that Suckoo has been in discussions with the PPM to align on their platform has not yet been confirmed or denied.
Meanwhile, Malcolm Eden, who is running for the first time in an effort to win the seat held by his father and opposition member, Anthony Eden, also declared as an Independent, with no indication of whether or not he will be aligning with the opposition.
So far, neither Bernie Bush nor Chris Saunders
Christopher Saunders: Incumbent for Bodden Town West. Biography: Saunders is a certified Public Accountant and has held senior positions within the banking, telecommunications and financial... More have indicated any alignment for their respective campaigns.
Category: Election News
It’s not a referendum on decency. It’s a referendum on stupidity. My money is on stupidity to win, again!
Dear Arden,
Pick up ya bundle and leave and go, don’t go back to East End, can’t you understand. East Enders tired tires
D of your yayaya. Go fishing .
Boorish behaviours have no place in representative politics.
Except in Cayman
It’s over for Arden!
Imagine if expats could actually vote or even stand.
Really! My imagination cannot stretch that far!
Like they can in the USA or Canada or France? Oh shit, wait, citizenship brings certain privileges there too!!!
Caymanians with dual passports should be eligible without needing a Caymanian Granny or Grandpa. The Granny or Grandpa clearly doesn’t confer any genetic sense of ethics, allegiance, honesty, or integrity, let alone accountability, so maybe it does the opposite?
1:24 pm, people with two passports. Really don’t have Cayman at heart, if they really, really did they would give up the other passport
Dream on, they’ll never let that happen.
It never should! Voting and standing for election is limited to CITIZENS in every civilized country in the world!
Arden has lost the Election big time.
Order of returns
1. Isaac
2. Frederick
3. Jonny
4. Arden
5 Billy
The people of East end need change
My vote is for Isaac!! Let us give him a chance this time. I see possibilities in him? Can anyone list the accomplishments of the sitting Mp for EE? Too much time was wasted with non- sensical debate and arguments! Time for a change EE.
I agree with you.
Arden, the reason why you are here at this point is because you and the other members of the opposition, right after the election with the majority in you all hands, had an internal struggle, as to who will be Premier etc. If you guys were capable of coming together to look after country, you would never be in the position to try and get rid of the speaker, who would not have been speaker.
The opposition has demonstrated over and over again that they are not capable of running this country. Sometimes we have to learn to lose to win.
Certainly sir, you are not capable of leading this country.
Because he and his long time friend both wanted to be Premier!! Lost opportunity! Last chance! I don’t think that streak of ” Irish luck” will present itself again. As a long ago EE preacher would say ” God work in “mischievous” ways” No disrespect- just quoting a dear old man who had a habit of mixing up his words.
His self confidence is incredible! To think he feels he can represent Caymanians as Premier. East End please do the right thing
Decency is sorely lacking across the board. Competence is in short supply too.
Do we not have any younger Caymanians, or at last not “professional” career type politicians that are able to step up and run for office?
It is really sad when you look at the vast majority of choices offered. We end up recycling these same people election after election.
They are well know to most of us and if they are all rubbish it almost makes sense to vote for the one you expect can or might do the most for you. I know that isn’t right but after a certain point you just go with how it works here.
Yep! People can’t be “voted out” if they run uncontested. Arden has competition this time but several other critical races have only useless incumbents in them.
Young, educated, Cayman-loving folks……please step up and serve!!
Who hasn’t had a bar brawl in the UK.
Its not like you have to look for one to join in.
Have you ever been to the UK? I grew up in a rough area of South London (Sarf Lundun to you!) and the only people who started fights in pubs round there were ****heads like one of my uncles who couldn’t handle their drink. Only two incredients required for a bar fight – alcohol and stupidity.
Sorry, last sentence should read ‘ingredients’.
Yep Arden def has those 2 ingredients
Election will be where McLean gets voted out!
Really, Arden talking about decency?? The same guy that bragged about bar brawls in the UK?? The same guy who has little to no respect for women?? Hypocritical I’d say….but then he always does what suits him, but decency is usually never there.
Completely agree. He is very disrespectful and thinks his off colour comments to women are charming.Pot and kettle. Go away Arden and learn how to behave. Go away please.
1:31 Remember the drinking sessions in Durty Reid’s and the allegations about his election funding?
Oh and that too….
Yes, that Arden McLean. The same one who professes to be Lilly white. The same one who has disparages East Enders at Mango Tree. The same one who only helps those that he knows votes for him.
While at the East End sports day, he and Ezzard was like lovers…
He’s arrogant and crass and an embarrassment to Cayman. I cringe every time I hear him speak. He sounds so simple-minded and vindictive.
In 1939, pretty much alone and with military capabilities far below those of Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom and France declared war. They did so to keep a promise made to Poles and Czechs, and to maintain the concept that their people stood for something. History thanks them for their heroism, and commends their integrity.
Faced with an opportunity to do the right thing, in far less dangerous circumstances, our leaders have failed us. That was not statesmanship. It was cowardice. Unless clear public pronouncements are made confirming unequivocally that they do not and will not tolerate convicted abusers having the title of honorable anything, I will be voting against representatives of the current government.
It is a question of basic honor and integrity.
Meanwhile, the House Speaker and MP of WBW, used his office and immediate state-funded staff to host a “treating” event on December 26th, with the door-to-door district flyers advertising all kinds of “giveaway” inducements for his constituents. He did all of that while on probationary release serving a non-custodial sentence for a serious criminal conviction – which is violated by the pin-drop of any illegal behavior. Such low fruit, yet, not one of our so-called “decency” crusaders, purporting to see McKeeva out, have even noticed, let alone filed a report to the ethics commission on the subject. Such is the deficient grade of ethical awareness and procedural acumen in that House.