Independence loses lustre as MPs seek team-ups
(CNS): Twelve independent candidates were elected to office in 2021 alongside seven members of the PPM following a race in which 38 of the 50 candidates campaigned outside of a party or team. Eleven of the twelve elected independents formed PACT, and Dwayne Seymour
Dwayne Seymour (BTE incumbent) is the Minister for Border Control, Labour, with the UPM and has joined the PPM for this election campaign. More, who ran in an alliance with the PPM, joined them later. But for the 2025 elections, independence appears to have lost its lustre and only a few candidates will be running as lone wolves.
Six incumbents are retiring this election cycle. Nine of the remaining 13 sitting MPs have said outright or dropped heavy hints about which party they will be aligned with. Only four MPs running for re-election — McKeeva Bush
McKeeva Bush (WBW incumbent) is the longest-serving member of parliament (the “Father of the House”), having represented West Bay continuously for three decades. More, Chris Saunders
Chris Saunders (BTW incumbent) is running as an independent and has said that a group of independents plans to be part of a coalition government. More, Jay Ebanks and Isaac Rankine — have not yet revealed who they will be campaigning with for the next 77 days.
The last four tumultuous years, dominated by disharmony and disagreement as the twelve members of the government struggled to align their disparate policy positions, have sent a clear message that forming a government based on twelve different manifestoes creates considerable challenges.
It is unlikely that these four men will campaign alone, and the three remaining members of the UPM and Saunders could well team up, but in politics, there are no guarantees, and the shifting sands of the political landscape could see them go in unexpected directions.
Bush created his own policy platform in October last year after his criminal legal troubles were largely resolved and he walked back plans to retire. At the time, he made an open invitation for others to join him on the campaign trail
However, he has not registered the Organization for a Better Cayman Islands (OBC) as an official party and has not yet openly recruited anyone to the organisation, though he had dropped hints about Chris SaundersChris Saunders (BTW incumbent) is running as an independent and has said that a group of independents plans to be part of a coalition government. More and Jay Ebanks campaigning with him.
Bush had also made vague hints about his West Bay colleagues, André Ebanks
André Ebanks (WBS incumbent) is the leader of The Caymanian Community Party. He has served as financial services minister 2021-2024, and deputy premier 2023-2024. More and Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, but they soon made it clear they would be campaigning with the TCCP, where they have found a common alliance on a greener future for Cayman.
Bush is still facing an appeal by the crown against the collapse of indecent assault charges but will not return to court until after the elections. Nevertheless, the many controversies over the span of his political career could make the veteran politician a liability, regardless of his central role in politics for the last four decades.
Even though candidates may find that aligning with Bush won’t do them any favours, Bush’s political capital is still strong in West Bay, and his chances of winning, despite the endless controversies, remain high. If he retains his West Bay West seat, there is no doubt he will again be front and centre of the post-election backroom horse-trading that has become a central part of local politics.
While neither Saunders nor Jay Ebanks has yet said how they will campaign, Saunders has dropped hints about his support for Kenneth Bryan
Kenneth Bryan (GTC incumbent) is deputy premier and tourism minister with the UPM while campaigning with the PPM as deputy leader of the party. More. However, he has not publicly refused to line up alongside Bush, his old party colleague. CNS has asked him about Bush’s invitation, but he has not yet responded.
With Bryan being openly courted by his old political party, the PPM, an alliance with Saunders may not be on the cards for his 2025 run. Despite what Saunders has said is his growing appreciation for the PPM’s former leader, Sir Alden McLaughlin, the party may not rush to embrace a representative who has also had his own share of controversies and shown a continued inclination to remain outside party affiliations.
However, an alliance between Jay Ebanks, Saunders and Rankine is possible. Rankine admitted on the 2021 campaign trail that he had been inclined to support the Progressives and was understood to have made a deal to do so. But his decision to join PACT during the post-election horse-trading, effectively shutting down the PPM’s chance to form a government, has soured their relationship.
Meanwhile, most of the declared candidates from outside the House (25 so far) are aligning with parties. Just six, including former education minister Rolston Anglin, a close political ally of McKeeva BushMcKeeva Bush (WBW incumbent) is the longest-serving member of parliament (the “Father of the House”), having represented West Bay continuously for three decades. More for many years, have declared their intentions to run alone outside of any political alignment.
However, as the campaign heats up, candidates who are willing to take questions from the public and the media will be pressed to indicate which party or candidates they would be willing to work with if elected.
Ultimately, with three candidates so far openly declaring their intention to shoot for the premiership, independents not prepared to say who they will back are going to find the campaign trail a tough one.
Check out the CNS Election Section interactive map to see who is running in each constituency.
See the list of candidates and their party affiliations here.
Category: Analysis
No one Party will get all of their candidates voted in – therefore, they will have to work together to form a Government.
Sorry, but I dont agreewith your opinion. In fact I know most of the voting public does not either.
The last couple of decades has seem the rise, and subsequent abuse, of authuority by these elected “Parties” who have ONLY looked out for themselves, and other party members, and the collective interests of the “PARTY”. They have gained from the general publics misery, which was caused by tveir unabated corruption.
Now, in this election, you can see how much the general public is fed up by the amount of people looking to run.
The “Old Boy” network, and its paid for croonies (MLA’s), see the end is now, hence why so many have retired and left….
The Independants will be the checks and balances needed to ensure the new “Party” members do not pick up the rotten corrupted habits of the old one still trying to cling to their power.
So NO, the Independants is where the silver lining is……
Politicians will say (and do) almost anything to get votes, so their words are meaningless without a confirming career dossier of similar actions. Their track records speak for themselves. On that measure, there are still precious few candidates worthy of any voter trust, whether a member of a party or not. Until there are deeper fields of quality candidates, there will always be a horse trade to form a coalition government. I wish André all the best with this.
Here’s a hint –which should be but apparently isn’t obvious — how to make a party acronym. First, it should be easy to say as a word, such as PACT. Choose a three or four letter word which represents your ideals and what you stand for. Ask yourselves to choose one word which does this. Then, it’s a simple matter to assign a word to each letter which represent your party.
In this way, your party becomes memorable and news and views travel every bit by spoken words as by the written ones. Notice when you listen to the radio, which party names roll easily off the tongues of the speakers.
I am sick to death of the after the fact horsetrading. We vote for individuals based upon their platform, and then they recombine in ways that are often contrary to that in which they ran. I want two votes; one for my district, and one for Premier. I want the elected Premier to remain consistent with their election platform and party. In districts in which there is only the incumbent running without opposition, the MP position should remain dormant until their is at least one person running against them.
No manifesto that sets issues and solutions – no vote – and that applies to parties and independents
We have had enough hot air, and horse $hit from corrupt and wanna-be corrupt politicians.
The only manifesto I want is…
“We will not work with Mac, Kenneth, Saunders and Seymour”.
Dont forget JAY! Not working with him!
I have not seen one from TCCP, but Mr. Scott’s group already has a manifesto.
Went to Dan Scott group’s meeting last night.
I have never been more impressed and hopeful that they will start the restoration of dignity and values to our politics and country.
They are all educated, employed or retired, and have nothing to gain but service to the betterment of
What a contrast to the uneducated unprincipled self serving cabal we have suffered for the past four years.