(CNS): Dawn Thomas, who is running for office on the Cayman Islands National Party ticket in Red Bay, has called out “the audacity” of incumbents and parties who have dominated governments for the last twenty years seeking re-election with “a straight face”, claiming to have a plan to solve the problems they have failed to […]
(CNS): Former premier Wayne Panton passionately defended the National Conservation Act and the National Conservation Council when he appeared at the Chamber Candidates Forum Wednesday night alongside his Newlands challengers. The incumbent made it clear that The Cayman Community Party will protect the hard-fought legislation in the face of the continued unjustified attacks.
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has confirmed the official list of public holidays for 2025 after the designation of Wednesday, 30 April, as General Election and Referendum Day. All registered voters, even those still required to work on public holidays, must be given time off to go to the polls. No employer is allowed to […]
(CNS): As Cayman voters prepare to answer the referendum question about whether or not the Cayman Islands Government should develop cruise berthing facilities, respected regional economist Marla Dukharan has presented a report challenging the idea that it would be the answer to the declining cruise calls.
(CNS): At the Candidate forum on Tuesday, Heather Bodden (TCCP), who is campaigning to retain her Savannah seat, committed to the greener, less expensive Route B2 for the controversial East-West Arterial Road extension. But she said the road would not solve the traffic congestion for those living east of George Town.
(CNS): At the Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum for Prospect on Monday, which gave voters on the edge of the capital a chance to hear from the three candidates vying for the seat, Michael Myles struck a chord with popular opinion when he said the key to almost all of Cayman’s troubles was immigration reform […]
(CNS): Jay Ebanks, who is still part of the outgoing UDP minority administration while campaigning to keep his parliamentary seat in North Side as an independent candidate, has backed away from a commitment to supporting an increase in Cayman’s woefully inadequate minimum wage. Answering a question at the Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum on Friday, […]
(CNS): It’s less than seven weeks until the 2025 General Election, but none of the three parties hoping to secure a majority government on 30 April have produced a manifesto. Despite calls from the voting public for these documents, the CINP, the TCCP and the PPM have all failed to produce details of their policies […]
(CNS): The four candidates challenging incumbent MP Isaac Rankine for his East End seat failed to capitalise on the opportunity to call him out during the first of the Chamber of Commerce’s candidate forums. The candidates all said they planned to solve an array of problems, but Rankine, the current home affairs minister who has […]
(CNS): Governor Jane Owen has issued a call for anyone interested in serving as a domestic observer for the 2025 General Election and Referendum to apply to her office as soon as possible. The Cayman Islands began the practice of deploying local teams to observe the national votes in 2009. These domestic teams work separately from […]
The case for a national vote for Cabinet leaders
James E. Whittaker writes: One of the most common complaints among the voting populace in the Cayman Islands is the continual lack of positive outcomes on the key issues facing the country: the cost of living, affordable housing, energy, healthcare, education and more. Many of us believe the root cause of this is because our […]
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 […]
To anyone bashing their MP for going AWOL the past four years
➡️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 […]
Experienced incumbents vs. patriotic candidates
Cayman Sentinel writes: For decades, Caymanian politics has been dominated by the idea that experience is the most valuable asset a candidate can have. Career politicians tell us that because they have been in office before, they are the only ones qualified to lead. They argue that without their knowledge of government operations, the country […]
Repackaged political convenience
Michael Myles writes: As a citizen of my beloved Cayman Islands, I write this with a deep sense of frustration and disgust at how low and dishonest our political landscape has become. On 1 March, I witnessed politics at its worst — a spectacle of hypocrisy disguised as leadership. The chairman of the PPM stood […]
Cascabel 73 writes: There are a few realities that escape voters in our beloved islands. One: No candidate, even if they become a minister, can “change” anything by simply dictating it. In reality, ministers are very limited in what they can do. Even the bills (future laws) they bring are put together by lawyers who do […]
Frankenstein’s monster of Caymanian politics
Unbought Caymanian writes: It’s official — Cayman’s political merry-go-round has taken yet another spin, and we’re right back where we started. The Progressives (PPM), once seen as a somewhat steady hand, have now thrown caution, credibility, and any remaining standards out the window.
Independents, parties and campaign donors
Political Watchdog writes: Yesterday we watched a political telenovela unfold with the second premier and fourth deputy premier walking into parliament. And some people want to blame this on “independents”. Keen observers of Caymanian politics will know this isn’t about being independent or with a party. It’s about the character of the people running and […]
Ideas and oratory versus ‘fridgocracy’
Lite Poll: About 2,500 years ago, the Ancient Greeks developed a radical system of government in which all male citizens voted on the important decisions for their city state. (Slaves and women were not invited.) As democracy progressed, persuasive public speaking became an intrinsic part of politics as men learned, studied and practised the art […]
Same election cliche but new reasons
Charles Clifford writes: Voters are rightly concerned about our 2025 general election. Every four years, we repeat the cliche that “this is the most important election in our history”. That cliche was true for specific reasons in the past, for example, during our post-Hurricane Ivan recovery and again during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery. Read the […]
