UK says Bush case is not their issue
(CNS): On the eve of International Women’s Day, a local activists received a letter from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stating that the position of Speaker McKeeva Bush
McKeeva Bush (CDP), West Bay West MLA Speaker of the LA, Leader of the Cayman Democratic Party. Biography: Bush is the longest serving member and... was a matter for the local criminal justice system and it “would be inappropriate” for the UK to become involved. Linda Clark wrote to London in early December about what sort of message is sent by allowing Bush to remain in office, but she did not receive a response until Friday.
“This is a matter for the criminal justice system in the Cayman Islands, having regard to Cayman’s local laws and Constitution. As such, there is no basis for the UK Government to intervene and in any event it would be inappropriate to do so,” the civil servants from the Overseas Territories Directorate in London stated in their letter to Clark.
“The UK has confidence in the Cayman Islands’ criminal justice system, and we understand that Speaker Bush has been given a suspended prison sentence, a fine, made subject of a curfew and has been ordered to pay compensation to the victim.”
Disappointed by the response, Clark said Monday on International Women’s Day that it was a shame that, given the response, it did not appear that the UK really cares about women’s rights.
In light of Bush’s conviction for an assault on the female manager at a bar on Seven Mile Beach, Clark is one of a growing number of activists who are pressing for that conviction to play a central part in the election and for all candidates to refuse on the record to work with him.
But with solid support in his West Bay West constituency, Bush was campaigning on Monday on a platform with Rolston Anglin and Captain Eugen Ebanks and promoting what he said was his support of women in WBW. He also posted a number of pictures of himself posing with some of the female elders in the district.
Marking International Women’s Day in a social media post, Bush said he took “pride in the steps I have made to uplift and empower our women”. The speaker said that he knew the “value in women standing by our side in making our nation a better place”, as he claimed to have chosen women to run with for political office, and to hold the positions of deputy premier and speaker.
“As the first minister of women’s affairs, I put programmes in place to uplift women and provided them opportunities to further their education and to secure jobs for their families,” he said.
Bush avoided referring to his conviction or elaborating on many social media comments he has made over the last few weeks, continuing to deny his culpability regarding his attack on Livia Kwong, despite his conviction and the statements he made in court during his sentencing hearing.
Category: Election News
