Ebanks-Wilks: Hydes backed by special interests
(CNS): As the spectre of ‘special interests’ floats above the election landscape, the ghostly political backers were conjured up at another Chamber Candidate Forum on Thursday when Katherine Ebanks-Wilks (TCCP) said her West Bay Central challenger, Jewel Hydes (IND), was backed by those who had taken aim at her for refusing to gut the National Conservation Act.
As the forum opened, Ebanks-Wilks said she had been warned that if she wouldn’t change that law as they wanted, the special interests would field an opponent against her.
“I was cautioned that if I didn’t make those changes, strong opposition would be coming for me, and special interest groups will be loading up an opponent,” she said. “My position then and now remains the same.
“The decisions that I have made have never been about an election. The decisions I have made have been in line with my 2021 manifesto commitment, which was to make decisions in the best interests of you, the Caymanain people, and that is what I have done, and that is what I am ready to do again,” she added.
Ebanks-Wilks was one of four members of the PACT/UPM
PACT was a group of independent MPs who came together after the 2021 elections to form a government. It later became the UPM. More administration who resigned from the government benches in October 2024. They later teamed up with former premier Wayne Panton to create the TCCP with 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 at the helm.
The reasons they gave for resigning included a catalogue of worrying behaviour by the remaining members of the government, who were acting against the best interests of the people, as well as poor governance and disagreements in Cabinet.
They also claimed that special interests, in particular wealthy landowners and developers, had control of Cabinet and decisions were being made on policy, legislation and public spending that met the interests of a select few, not the people.
During the forum, Hydes never denied Ebanks-Wilks’ allegations that she was backed by special interests. But like the former UPM and PPM candidates, she welcomed the population growth and development that has impacted West Bay in particular over the last decade.
Although she said the growth was “quite alarming”, she said she was “happy” that people wanted to live in the district, and her only concern was that traffic could become a problem.
However, many of the district’s residents believe the development of luxury condos around the district’s coastline and new apartment complexes are being marketed to higher paid, often expat workers and priced beyond the reach of many local people.
The overdevelopment of areas prone to flooding and the loss of natural resources across the district are fuelling the growing call in West Bay to freeze development and to strengthen the NCA, which is under attack from developers.
Ebanks-Wilks said that she was very concerned about the level of development in the district and across the islands. She said that a National Development Plan had to be a priority, as it’s “been kicked around for far too long”. She pointed out that the local infrastructure was struggling to cope, such as the clinic and the primary school, which is bursting at the seams.
Ebanks-Wilks said the development plan would address a myriad of issues, but it was clear it had to involve the Department of Environment and see that government agency working with planning to get it done.
The next Chamber Forum will be held Friday night with the four candidates running for the open seat of West Bay North: Jordon Rivers (TCCP), Rolston Anglin (IND), Shakeina Bush (IND) and Jermaine Ebanks-Hurlston (IND).
Watch the forum below on the Chamber’s YouTube channel.
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: Election News
Assuming, as I do, that Ebanks-Wilks’s allegation that Cabinet was controlled by developers is accurate; and also assuming, as I do, that that was known throughout Parliament; then why on earth did the PPM welcome three of Cabinet’s most egregious self-servers to run as candidates under its banner? Does that not tell us that the PPM has absolutely no principles beyond naked power-grabbing?
If I’m wrong, please tell me why.
Jewel Hyde’s with all of her letters behind her is just not cut out for politics, ya can’t bully ya way in friend. Gal go find something else to do, your opponent is bad enough but you worser. Give it up darling.
You are not wrong. Except you mean Cabinet, not parliament (Ministers do all their dealings behind closed doors).
She doesn’t have an independent thought. Watched her flipping back and forth trying to find the page that Wayne’s consultant prepared for her.
Same stuff she did when she was appointed speaker. Needed a manual to do even the basic stuff. Pathetic. Yet another one that couldn’t make it in the private sector and NEEDS a job.
Say something without you notes Kathy – we need to see for ourselves you DON’T have the leadership needed for the job.
To 5:55pm: Anyone who thinks being speaker is easy, is clearly clueless. Everyone would need to learn the process and practice — even you.
Even the president of the United States read from a teleprompter. Is it a crime to be prepared with notes? Have you ever had to do a presentation?
this idea that luxury developments cause traffic don’t make sense. I’ve never seen vehicles queued up trying to enter or exit them because most of those1 people don’t live there.
Watch the forum and read her body language. Not approachable at all. Not good for a candidate.
One just has to look at the marketing done by the contender. That is a clear example of what to expect from her in office. One face to the public and a switch up once in office.
Can anyone name one single candidate, in any constituency, who isn’t backed by someone with special interest?
The only special interest we all have is to rid Cayman of Mac, Dumb dumb, Kenneth Seymour and Jujudas….after that Cayman can breath a sigh of relief.
Name the “special interests” or the allegations hold no water.
I don’t know about backing, but having watched the forum, I found the contender’s attitude gruff and confrontational. Another bull in a china shop. That might work for some WBC voters, who still believe that an MP can go into parliament and get things done by force, but on the contrary, it will make it very difficult to get 19 people to agree with her agenda. Reminded me of Ezzard Miller — abrupt and cantankerous. 😑
Will someone please identify these “special interests” that seem to be referred to by every candidate who has nothing of substance to offer, other than a broad accusation against the other candidates running in the district.
If she wasn’t being backed by special interests, Jewel Hydes had the opportunity to clear that up in her closing remarks. She was quite mouthy all night, seems to me that if it was not so, she would have been more than glad to say so.
100 % agree with this statement. Hopefully, someone from her committee will get through to her in regards to this. Myself along with household of 3 were planning to give her a chance but after Friday night’s display, she can kiss those votes goodbye.