Poll: Who should be the next premier?
(CNS): There are three political parties competing for power in the upcoming elections, and each party wants to see their leader as the next premier. But unless one of the parties ends up with a strong majority of ten, consisting of their own MPs and close associates, a coalition government at the end of the usual horsetrading is highly likely.
Nevertheless, the premier will likely be one of the party leaders: 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 (TCCP), Joey Hew
Joey Hew (GTN incumbent) is the leader of the PPM (aka Progressives). He served as opposition leader from October 2024 until the dissolution of parliament. More (PPM) or Dan Scott
Dan Scott (CBE candidate) is the leader of the Cayman Islands National Party. He was EY regional manager until his retirement in June 2023. More (CINP).
But never discount 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, the master of political manoeuvring, whatever past scrapes and controversies he has been embroiled in. And with the retirement of Sir Alden McLaughlin and Juliana O’Connor-Connolly
Juliana O'Connor-Connolly (CBE incumbent) is running with the PPM. She is the current premier and has been minister of education since May 2017. More, he is also the only candidate who has previously held the post of premier, other than Wayne Panton, who has already clearly taken a back seat to let Ebanks lead the TCCP.
In the Westminister system of government, voters choose their MPs and the MPs choose their leader. However, the poll below provides readers with the opportunity to say who they would like to see as the next premier. If you choose “None of the above”, let us know in the comments who you would prefer to be the next leader of government.
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.
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Category: Poll
Change writes: Every constituency has the same issue when their MP becomes a minister. It is not that they stop caring about their area, but Cabinet members have no choice but to tackle issues at national level, and that takes budget, meetings, reports, travel, conference calls, sitting with lawyers to streamline bills and laws — all […]
Hi CNS,
Juliana stated at a recent government staff function that she will not be running again and bid us farewell as her final visit as minister for our department.
There’s talks that she’s actually running again to compete against Dan.
Are you able to say / confirm if she will or won’t run again? I trust your source more than marl road gossip, and seeing that you published she won’t be, I want to lean to believe you.
CNS: The last thing she said officially on the matter was that she is not running. We have heard the rumours, but until there is an official announcement, we’re treating them as just that.
Thanks for the response, it’s sort of a hot topic on social media right now
CNS: Well, we’ll all know for sure next Monday.
Juju IS running again.
She will probably join with Kenneth, Seymour with Mac and Saunders backing for PPM.
Vote PPM and sadly we’ll have the same unprincipled government of self seeking unemployables raping Cayman for personal gain.
Want cruise piers..? Vote PPM.
Want Kenneth as Premier.? Vote PPM.
Want Mac and Juju running Cayman.? VotePPM.
Disaster ahead.
There isn’t a single potential Premier that will lower the cost of living or reign in the runaway development.
There’s basically no point at all in voting, its irrelevant who wins this election, the powers that be will simply have a word and ensure that the direction the country is taking is maintained. They do not give one darn tooting cheeseball how hard it is for 95% of us.
This poll maybe interesting, but it has as much relationship to the outcome of the Cayman Islands general election that a bathe in the ocean does to a bathe in a tub! Just a reminder that like all online polls currently being run out of the Cayman Islands, this is a poll of readers worldwide who decide to participate.
When I went to a little-known university in Cambridgeshire UK, we had a thing where we could vote for RON as explained below.
How many times would RON win here?
This is the explanation straight from the university website minus the university reference.
Re-Open Nominations
If you are not happy with any of the current candidates standing for election, you can vote to Re-Open Nominations (RON). RON appears on the ballot and votes for RON are counted in the same way as those for candidates.
If RON is declared the winner after all votes have been counted, the election will be held again. The original candidates are allowed to run again in the new ballot, but it gives the opportunity for new candidates to run.
WHY VOTE RON?
Voters may choose to vote RON for one of the following reasons:
They do not think any of the available candidates should be elected.
They would rather have more choice and be able to select from a greater number of candidates (not a guaranteed outcome).
They have already ranked some candidates, but feel that none of the remaining candidates should be elected.
You do not need to vote for RON in an election; if you think all of the candidates are better than no candidate, you should not rank RON on your ballot.
Vote Andre Ebanks Caymanians always been there for us! all others are either PPM or UDP lite been looking out for their family and high society friends all their lives now looking for the people in low places to lift them and their money out of irrelevance. Let them keep their money and high society fair weather friends. Why do some Caymanians go around running their own people down propping up those who have never support us Why?
Joey of course!!
hey hey what happened to Big Macs NPO anybody know anybody who is part of this ghost organization. Sounds like someone got the hiibijibbies making the announcement. hiibiiijibbes anther term for “hungover”.
Mac should get the hell out of the way.
Teaming up with Saunders, with Kenneth is his last gasp effort to complete his journey to destroy Cayman.
FFS Caymanians, save what’s left for our children by voting for educated principled Caymanians.
This poll highlights the need for national elections.
I did not know that Joey has so many dependents
CNS – given the likelihood of a 3 way split with no party getting more than 6 MPs elected and given the egos involved would you please consider a poll of your readership’s views on the least objectionable independents that could be brought in to make up a majority in Parliament?
Eden Hurlston
O no not not in a hundred tu sad years. Missa know it hall!
From the 1597 people who took part in this poll, most of us 513 or 32% want political uncertainty. That shows where our challenges lie, and it has nothing to with the majority of the candidates.
Not wanting political uncertainty, just experiencing it. For me, more than I ever have in my life. I want people that will fight for the best interests of the Caymanian people. Not special interest, not foreign investors, not PIGs (political interest groups). If those people exist, they will begin a dialogue regarding the minimum wage.
Deez Nuts!
I suspect the PPM are slowly awakening to the likelihood of them being washed out in this upcoming election. Mac too. People and new voters are all done with the same old same old. Even if the newbies are inexperienced, it simply cannot be worse.
Not that the incumbents will mind, all they do is go on holidays anyhow
Never underestimate the power of bought votes particularly with our tiny constituencies
need a direct rule option on this poll.
Why wait? You can have that today simply by going back home.
Both Joey and McKeever are automatic noes!!! One is a drunken moral cesspool and the other a total lightweight sell out.
DEFINITELY NOT DAN SCOTT!
Remember what he stands for:
* The SALE of public owned land,
* the SALE of the turtle farm,
* the SALE of Radio Cayman,
* the SALE of the stock exchange,
* the SALE of the water Authority,
* the SALE of the Owen Roberts Airport,
* ABOLISHING the Development Bank,
* ABOLISHING the National Housing Development Trust,
* ABOLISHING the National Drug Council,
* the OUTSOURCING of the entire hospital services AND
local clinics,
* PRIVATIZING CINICO,
* PRIVATIZING SCHOOLS,
* INCREASING FEES for health insurance,
* INCREASING fares on Cayman Airways,
* CUTTING JOBS IN CAYMAN BRAC!
Check the CNS Library for the EY Report. All of those recommendations, and more, are in that report. FACTS.
So keeping things as they are I guess is what you support.
Ok in 2008 what were the alternatives to the finances debate that the PPM created?
Mister can never serve as MP, not an Accountant please give us your dissertation of what was the alternative you wud ave opposed. You need to talk about what you know !!
To 11:42am: that report was not written by Scott. Please get the facts. Government commissioned a group from overseas to do an assessment. The group submitted their report and recommendations to E&Y (Scott being a Director of E&Y) for publication. Get the facts.
No NO NO to big shot Dan Scott. He has his huge buy out from E & Y so just go sit in your mansions and live the high life Danny Boy!
I don’t think Mr Scott is running for the money. I think he sees that Cayman Brackers need help and he is willing to put himself forward to help us. Please listen to what he has to say before judging the man. I believe in my heart Mr Scott means Cayman Brackers well and by extension the Cayman Islands week,and he has our best interests at heart. I know many that will be voting for him because they see it too.
Selling water authority is absolutely insane to even consider.
I think Dan Scott would be excellent.
That was an independent report done by Ernst and Young. Dan never said he stood for these. His company said they were cost effective, which was what the government of the day asked.
We need Jon-Jon & Chris Saunders for our Premier. Jamaica rules and they will make us strong. Jamaica workers should not have to obtain any more work permits as they the hardest workers in the world. Bless Jon-Jon!
Vote PPM to achieve that outcome
When do you start passing out the gas and food cards Honorable Jon-Jon?
#neverJoey
A 3 way split in this election will leave Mac and the Jamaican posse as power brokers – again.
Sadly there is no national vote for Premier or any other MP. Hopefully that will change in the very near future. I am tired of only having buffoons, the corrupt, and corrupt buffoons as options.
10.33 Sorry you can’t avoid all that corruption and vote in Cayman.
Anybody but PPM and Joey Hew they will accelerate the destruction of Cayman by continuing to give it away for personal and political gains. They can never be trusted again ever
Why are they all desperate for positive results from unscientific poll with zero restrictions?
Cayman is going nuts like Trumps USA
There is only one hopeful that can truly handle this job, with hopes of bringing back some stability to this Country and that is ROLSTON ANGLIN, but he is desperately needed as the Minister of Education if we have any hope for our children . I hope whatever party or individuals elected respect and acknowledge is ability and experience. I want to say Rolston for Premier but and Minister of Education
What a joke. You sound very desperate. Watch when he drops you like he always does. He’s a fine example to our children smh
This sounds like the rantings of a Rolston relative.
I don’t believe that he should even be considered as an MLA.
10.33 Sorry you can’t avoid all that corruption and vote in Cayman.
12:40 get outa ya rabbit hole will ya, there are no MLAs they are now MPs.
Anglin is another XXXX like Seymour & his hero McKeeva Bush. Remember the accident with the woman in the car??? He needs to stay out of politics for good.
To 6:22pm: Rolston, is that you? Boi, please sit down!
You should have foreseen the problems brewing in education when you were Minister, and put the necessary measures in place to avoid it. Look at the cluster $&@ today! Many teenagers cannot interpret what they read. How on earth can they get any job that requires analytical skills?
Please, Rolston, sit down.
So at this point Joey is less popular than any of the above but at least has more votes than Mac. That is probably a fairly good reading of what the electorate thinks about the possibility of another PPM/UPM/UDP government getting elected. I suspect that he would have polled higher before he started soliciting Kenny, Jon Jon, and Mac to be part of any government he might form.
Kenny and Jon Jon will be part of whichever government comes in regardless. They aligned themselves with the best government they saw fit to run the country. PPM want nothing to do with Mac. That’s Wayne’s party.
Lol. They all used Mac when they needed him to make numbers. How long you been in this?
They certainly didn’t make him any more popular, but Joey and his play-doh spine in any form of leadership position is conceptually hilarious, even without him courting Team Jamaica.
CNS – given that our completely broken horse-trading based electoral system will likely be in action on and after 30th April, would it be possible to have a poll setting out which candidates the electorate think should:
a) not get elected in any district,
b) not be included in any governing coalitio no matter what, and
c) not get anywhere near a Cabinet position even if it means having to go to the polls again.
Your polls are probably the closest thing we will get to a national vote until there is a people-initiated referendum that forces Constitutional reform.
#neverJoey
We should not be conducting or voting based on popularity contests. We have serious problems facing us as a country. Where are the manifestos?
We need to see in black and white what each of the parties and each independents says are their priorities for change and precisely what those changes will be. We should not be choosing MPs based on photo-ops or slogans or god-forbid who will pay the most for our votes.
@3.30 And we certainly should not vote based on who has the most Social Media support. Social media influences heavily promoted a Government of Independent candidates and look what that got us.
Why is Mac even an option?! Not saying he has not created a few laws that made sense, but he needs to sit down now. That is another reason that I want a national vote: Whoever garners the most votes — across all three islands — would automatically become Premier.
Read the article … geesh
The same people saying Dan Scott, were the same ones saying Wayne Panton last election. Look how that turned out. Remember these rich people don’t know the real struggle of every day life, only how to take care of themselves and their friends.
there is a HUGE difference between elitest Dan Scott who lives in a gated community and has never dirtied his hands with dealing with people he deems ‘below him’, and Wayne Panton who ACTUALLY cares about the future, our young people, the environment, and in particular those that are facing adversity. He doesn’t shout it from the rooftops, but he lives it every day.
Make no mistake – Dan Scott is in this purely for his own egotistical purposes – he already thinks he is the King of Cayman.
Dan Scott is should inspire Caymanians that education integrity and work lead to success.
All you people bashing Dan for being a success have to remember they even the Good Samaritan would have been useless had he been a poor man.
This is what’s wrong with Christians. You’ve taken a clear message that goodness and kindness are more important than the trappings of religion and turned it into a justification for being rich. Unbelievable!
8.32 makes an interesting comment, and 11.36 blames Christians ..
As they don’t say in Church…WTF..?
Neither Wayne Panton nor Dan Scott was born into extreme wealth, they are both self made men.
We, as a Country need to stop basing our choice on what the candidate hands out just prior to election, or if they are a friend or family member.
While I agree that this pole is premature, I for one would prefer to have a say in who the next Premier will be.
Both of their fathers contributed to the Cayman Islands community, with Dan’s father being a fighter for education for Cayman Brackers and Wayne’s father giving many hours of volunteer service as Treasurer of the Seafarers Association.
Wayne’s father was from one of the most prominent local families of old and possibly the most influential family outside of the so called “merchant class”
However, it is probable that Wayne is more “down to earth”
Well if we are looking at fathers, Alva Suckoos father was one of Dan Scotts co-workers in the Brac, they even wrote a song about them, it started, “Suckoo, Wood and Scott..and that is all we’ve got”. They had 3 teachers back then.
LOL
Why is Julie not in this poll? She will be backed
Julie is the only one that you can really trust. She is honest, generous, a true caymanian. She is self-sacrificing and in it for the people – not herself. We need her to continue as our premier.
It is time long past due for we the electorate, to the explicit exclusion of any and all others including the MP’s themselves, to be the ones who choose who will and who will not be given the position of premier. Anything less is further indication of a system which is democratic only in name and within a morass of disingenuous hollow rhetoric and window dressing.
Every Politicians need to state their position of the abortion bill being proposed to pass.
? There is no bill yet and when there is, it will have to go through public consultation just like every other bill, so what is the rush? You late for church?
If the majority of elected voters are pro-choice, then so be it. You are free to defend your views, but do not expect us all to agree with you and then threaten us with hell and brimstone when we don’t. To believe something is one thing, to be fanatical about it is another. Many threatened the Lord’s wrath should the Civil Partnership Law passed and here we are, several years later, still chugging along. Live and let live.
Look at California……or Sodom and Gomorrah
To 8:53pm: Many people mea culpa in church whichever day they attend, but when no one is looking they get up to all kinds of mischief. When we each die, we will have a one-on-one chat with the Maker to discuss what each of us did, not the rest of the world. It is not your job to supervise (or judge) what other adults do.
Anybody but Dan for God sake
Why?
Well first of all, his response in his video was a lie. Cayman had no financial issues in 2014. We had an operating surplus of over $100million.
Do some research and you will have the fact.
I did. I didn’t make that number up, it’s right there in black and white for anybody to see.
I’d be grateful if you would outline the basis on which the government of the day commissioned the report. This response seems like an uninformed one and I think it’s important to be clear.
Why not?
Dear Lisa, Dont make the mistake Jane made. When people criticised her husband Wayne she jumped on social media and snapped at them and got herself into the argument. Voters dont like this, and prefer that Mr Scott respond and that the spouse stay out of it. Jane said some pretty silly things on social media and it only hurt Wayne. Wives are supposed to be gracious and “first lady like” jumping into the fray will only attract licks.
Speaks to what people are really saying about (them)!!! Cayman gonna be in trouble if Dan or Joey gets the reigns!!!! I just need our people to wake the hell up!!!!!!!
Yes wake the hell up and see what Mac Saunders Kenneth and Dumdum would do to Cayman.
Bush is the anti-premier; the furthest person available from a good choice for Premier. I hope, and, yes, pray that he will never again win an election. I believe he is toxic in every sense to every department and I believe that toxicity began with the time when he self-appointed as our first Premier. Remember CHEC? I surely do. We would have had a cruise port at that time if not for Mr. Bush. Since then, the time for that port has passed and would now be a fiscal detriment. Remember Status giveaways? I do. Remember all the good things he did? I surely don’t.
Bush all on his own, has changed the demographics of this country. He should be ashamed of himself not to mention the drunken episodes.
Changed the demographics..?…he’s totally F’d up Cayman by turning us into Jamaica.
Amen!
McKeeva has violated the Nolan Principles countless times. By what control mechanism is he allowed to still be involved in public life, and how is that not corruption in action?
Where is Option (f): Ya mudda
Why is mcbeater back on this list as well? He is, what we call, a shadow premier.