Haven’t we had a referendum on cruise berthing before?
Michelle Lockwood, CPR Cayman, writes: You may be wondering: Why are we having a referendum now? Wasn’t this already decided? The short answer is no. CPR Cayman began a petition for a people-initiated referendum in the summer of 2018. Our petition asked: “Should the cruise berthing facility, a matter of national importance, be decided solely by referendum?” This question did not take a stance on the project, it simply sought to give the people the right to vote on it.
By June 2019, CPR Cayman submitted the completed petition to the Elections Office. The government required all signatures to be verified before proceeding, and by September 2019, the Elections Office confirmed that enough signatures had been verified — meeting the constitutional threshold of 25% of the total voting electorate.
In October 2019, the government passed the Referendum (People-Initiated Referendum regarding the Port) Law, 2019. However, the referendum question combined two issues — the cruise berthing facility and an enhanced cargo facility — potentially misleading voters. The vote was set for 19 December 2019, which also disenfranchised new voters who would only appear on the voter register in January 2020.
In response, Shirley Roulstone filed a legal challenge, arguing that the referendum process was unfair. In February 2020, the court ruled in her favour. However, the government appealed, and the ruling was overturned. Before the referendum could take place, COVID-19 lockdowns in March 2020 put a halt to the process, and the government declared it was no longer a priority.
Why is there a referendum now?
In summer 2024, the tourism minister announced a government-initiated referendum to determine whether the Cayman Islands should continue to be a player in the cruise industry. After extensive debate and changes in government, the Referendum Act was passed in February 2025, setting the official question for voters: “Should the Cayman Islands develop cruise berthing infrastructure?”
Key differences between the two referendums:
The People-Initiated Referendum (2019-2020) was governed by section 70 of the Constitution. PIRs are binding — the government would have been required to respect the result if it met the threshold of 50% + 1 of the total voting population.
The Government-Initiated Referendum (2025) is non-binding — the government is not obligated to act on the result. The threshold is 50% + 1 of those who vote in the 2025 General Elections.
Concerns about the referendum process:
CPR Cayman has consistently advocated for a fair and transparent referendum process aligned with international best practices. Unfortunately, while the Elections Act (As Revised) regulates elections, including campaign expenses, advertising, and disclosures, the 2025 Referendum Act lacks these safeguards.
Many modern democracies enforce strict referendum regulations to ensure fairness. Two examples: for the UK Brexit Referendum, campaigners spending over £10,000 were required to register and submit spending reports; and the Canadian Referendum Act requires registration of referendum committees and prohibits foreign contributions.
Why your vote matters:
Although this government-initiated referendum is non-binding, its results will likely shape future tourism policy. CPR Cayman urges everyone to vote ‘no’ to ensure the government understands the true will of the people.
You do not have to vote for a candidate or other referendum questions, but not voting on this issue could leave room for misinterpretation and impact the decisions of future governments. Make your voice heard! Encourage your community to vote and remind students studying abroad to participate.
For details on voting locations and procedures, contact the Cayman Islands Elections Office.
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: Viewpoint
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Come to the CPR rally this Tuesday night, 6pm 18 March at Constitution Hall, GT to hear the arguments and learn about the negative effects that building a pier would have and which you’ll never hear about from PPM, ACT or anyone promoting a cruise berth in Cayman. These are the facts that you need to know to make an informed decision on April 30th, 2025.
I remember the PIR a tad bit differently. I recall that CPR collected the requisite amount of signatures, and then the PPM — all the while spending our dollars on advertising promoting the port — required CPR to recertify the signatures. CPR then recertified the signatures, and a date was set for the PIR to decide upon the cruise port. PPM didn’t like this, as they knew they would lose, so Sir Alden moved up the time for the Election, thus negating the PIR. The new election time, gave hopeful politicians only a few short weeks to campaign.
Dirty, dirty politics. That’s the way I remember it. We all knew — all of us — how the PIR would go. We were prevented from voicing our vote.
A convicted drug dealer joins PPM and they make him Deputy leader..!!
That gives me every reason not to vote PPM.
Didn’t Donald Trump just tell Caribbean nations to choose wisely between America and China? We don’t need to be caught up in America’s bullshit so another good reason on top of all the very valid reasons to vote NO!
The reason for another referendum is because Kenneth needed to show “his people”
that he’s doing his best to get them piers.
As he is seen as the new Mac, the same commmercial interests that fed Mac are now funding his re election campaign.
The REAL reason , I believe, is that Mac has told him , from past experience, how “generous” the Chinese will be if awarded the contract.
Lord help us. That ego has no breaks. Please don’t vote for fools.
Ego plus the dangling carrot of a generous gratuity.
Thank you CPR Cayman