Wooden spoon goes to GTE candidate
(CNS): This year’s wooden spoon for the lowest number of votes in the entire election goes to Richard Alexander Bernard, who got just seven votes in what could be the lowest amount polled by any candidate in the Cayman Islands since the country adopted universal suffrage.
In a staggeringly poor result, Bernard joins four other candidates in the 2021 election who will lose their deposit as a result of securing too few votes. McCleary Frederick also lost his CI$1,000 but did manage to break into double figures with 15 votes in East End.
Debra Broderick in North Side manged only 23 votes and Jeanne Williams kissed goodbye to her deposit when she polled just 28 votes in Savannah. Roydell Carter, the former director of the Department of Environmental Health, also lost his CI$1,000 but probably took it out of his still undisclosed payoff from government.
Given the significant number of head-to-head races this year, the number of ‘also ran’ candidates was also low, with only a few suffering the embarrassment of polling less than 10% of the counted ballots.
However, Frank Cornwall managed to poll less than 13% of the vote in George Town Central, handing Kenneth Bryan the largest majority of the evening. His crashing defeat reflected a terrible decline for the Progressives
The People's Progressive Movement (PPM), also known as the Progressives, was founded in 2002 in response to the launch in 2001 of the United Democratic... More in the constituency and set Bryan up for a very safe seat, polling a whopping 851 votes and the biggest majority of the night with over 87% of the vote.
But it was 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 in Bodden Town West who secured the most votes. Campaigning in the second largest constituency in the country, Saunders received a record breaking 902 votes, or just under 80% of the turnout, the third largest majority. The second largest majority went to Moses Kirkconnell
Moses Kirkconnell (PPM): Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman MLA, Deputy Premier, Minister of District Administration, Tourism and Transport (DATT). Biography: Kirkconnell was first elected... More, who secured almost 86% of the vote in CBW&LC
Another significant majority was secured by Andre Ebanks in West Bay South in a head-to-head battle with Raul Nicholson-Coe
Raul Nicholson-Coe (IND): Candidate for West Bay South. He is the CEO/Owner of Catalyst, a mechanical, electrical and plumbing company. Biography: Nicholson-Coe has over twenty... More. Both newcomers to the political arena and fighting for a vacant seat, Ebanks polled 796 votes in what is now the largest constituency in West Bay, equating to more than 72% of the turnout.
Category: Election News
I must say I commend Richard for stepping up and trying. He may not have gotten much votes but at least he tried and should not be ridiculed for that.
Remember Peeps. Alden called an early election, to save Mckeeva’s hind at the sacrifice of you, the people. Candidates did not have time to organize themselves and promote their thoughts to you, the people. Bernard is no fool folks and would have represented well for GTE, as would Christina Rowlandson. Voters in the Cayman Islands beg for change, but do not change their voting style. Which is largely based on handouts and personalities, rather than facts and policies. Educational and Professional background considerations are also non-existent in their voting decisions. It is honestly going to be a tough 4 years. Strap in.
So so true.
Kathy Wilkes can do nothing for the next 4 years and she will still do more than Captain Whogene ever did. So glad to see the back of him. Now he can sleep in his hammock instead of the LA.
If only the independents will stick together and form the next government .. one can only hope .. if they do they will statistically be more likely to get a ministerial post than joining with the al LIE ance
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s not a whole lot of parliamentary nor political experience on that side.
What would be ideal is a mix of the old and the new on both sides so that experience and leadership exists. That is what is really best for the country.
England would have them so balled up in less than no time that next week we would have signed our own recolonization agreement without realizing it.
Can anyone explain why incompetents like Roydell Carter get a big payoff for being terminated for incompetence. Even worse in all these Civil Service cases, and there are many of them, the amount of their golden handshake is kept secret from those who have to pay for it i.e. the taxpayers. Only in Cayman.
Andre Ebanks
Kathy Whilks
Bernie Bush
Alden Mclaughlin
Joey Hew
Roy McTaggart
Have one thing in common they all worked in the Civil Service.
I am happy to see the public electing more former civil servants.
Why did Richard Bernard even run? He never even campaigned or had a single sign anywhere. He got 6 more votes than I expected him to get. This is not how run for election folks.
I do not mind that Roy was re-elected but we did not need a return of any other PPM. Sadly, they are in a comfortable position yet again to take control and form the Government. Caymanians preach about change and being sold out to rich developers thanks to the PPM but still vote them in due to a fake ideology that Alden saved us from Covid. Persons like Johann Moxam, Sammy Jackson and Alric Lindsay deserved a chance. I voted for Michael Myles but I’m okay with the outcome of Sabrina (anybody but Austin). I’ll have to plan my next move to permanently get off this rock with my family. I honestly see no hope of a future here for Caymanians.
I agree with you 100%. I’m a multigenerational Caymanian, and I will also leave this place before it becomes a proper shithole. These idiot voters can stay behind and enjoy their incompetent, corrupt government, which I guess is simply the reflection of an incompetent, corrupt electorate.
Let us not generalize; I would not say that many of the blind that voted the PPM back in are corrupt, but they are certainly selfish. They voted them back in based on their own level of comfort, without the slightest regard for the socially marginalized, the extreme poor living with unemployment or minimum wage, the high school students that cannot go off to university, the retired people who cannot afford health care. That is what the PPM stands for today: the rich get richer and the poor gets #$&%
If you don’t want to see skyscrapers, you better leave soon!
Don’t let the plane door hit you on the way out.
To 9:42am 15/04/2021 With your stupid comment about leaving Cayman = May I ask you and everyone else with the same mentality where are you going to go too – that is better than the Cayman Islands = There are quite a few that left Cayman and realized now that the grass isn’t greener on the other side and returned or thinking about returning to the Cayman Islands= If you could let me know the date you’re leaving I would be happy to buy you and families a AIRLINE Tickets = A LOYAL HOME GROWN CAYMANIAN = WHO DON’T MIND SPEAKING HIS MIND WITHOUT FEAR OR APOLOGIES TO ANYONE and BY THE WAY YOU CAN CONTACT = DEXTER L EBANKS 916 / 0754
This is precisely why I do not vote.
I don’t blame you. This was my first time voting and it will also be my last.
It was my second time voting and will certainly be my last because not nearly enough of the electorate share my views and opinions and will always vote differently from me. It feels like my vote did not matter for the second time. This island is on a slippery slope and there is simply nothing for average Caymanians. Thankful my kids were born in America and have triple citizenship and options when the time is right. They will not need to stay here and fight to win back this country in vein. I seriously have to look at moving away permanently within the next two years. People here do not want change and this election proved that yet again by focusing on the now and not the lack of opportunities for the children of this country who will one day be adults. There will be nothing affordable to buy, no affordable/good healthcare/ cost of living will continue to go through the roof. Kiss homeownership goodbye Caymanians if you don’t already have your own home. I’m literally sick to my stomach. PPM is ONLY for a certain category of ppl, the ones with deep pockets.
I had a choice between a nut and a useless person. I felt like crap leaving the polling booth.
Voting in an election should be compulsory, subject to fine. That might get the 25% that did not vote out of bed.
I agree with this logic. If you are registered to vote, once you are in good health and normal frame of mind, you should vote or get issued a $500.00 fine or 3 months imprisonment if you can’t immediately pay the fine in full. I’m just so bitter about the results.
That might make sense if they had given me the option of Mickey Mouse as a write in.
One can argue that persons of your mindset contribute to the problem. Maybe if you voted and other likeminded, then we’d have better representation and a different outcome. Verses you thinking that your vote would be pointless when you don’t get what you want. This is a sticky spot but I do think you should exercise your democratic right.
Not to keen on this article CNS, – I’ll concede I’m not really knowledgeable of any of the candidates that received a low percentage of the vote but I came away with a sense of ridicule here. I hope I’m the only one with that perception and that anyone looking to step up to the challenge isn’t turned away for fear of the same. Now more than ever we need candidates willing to battle the odds and make their way through who recognise the shortfalls Cayman may face. Besides that thank you for keeping us informed throughout the process.
I agree. The results we have are largely due to people not wanting to expose themselves and this does not help.
Andre Ebanks is the new King of the West, all he needs now are 2 small fries and he will get a Ministerial position, probably to become the new Boss of Eric Bush, after Dart of course.