Election News
(CNS): The Elections Office will hear any claims and objections to the voters list on Friday, 14 March, at 68 West Bay Road, George Town. Claims and objections to the list have been made in 17 of the 19 constituencies; only in Savannah and Cayman Brac West & Little Cayman are there no challenges. The […]
(CNS): At The Cayman Community Party’s official campaign launch on Saturday night, party leader André Ebanks hit out at the special interest groups that he says have been influencing governments over the last few decades. He warned that the new lineup of Progressives, which includes three members of the UPM Cabinet, are under the influence […]
(CNS): Michael Lemay, who was hoping to contest the open seat of West Bay North as an independent candidate, has been disqualified due to a conviction more than two decades ago. Lemay, a well-known local musician, denied the allegation, but he has admitted that, on the advice of a lawyer, he pleaded guilty to the […]
(CNS): The four MPs who resigned from the UPM government on 31 October say their departure from Cabinet was about taking a stand, not quitting. André Ebanks, Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Sabrina Turner and Heather Bodden are seeking to dispel the narrative that they quit. Rather, they say, they were unable to remain part of a malfunctioning […]
(CNS): CNS readers told us they had seen civil servants handing out promotional flyers that appeared to be electioneering on behalf of Agriculture Minister Jay Ebanks at the popular annual Agriculture Show on Wednesday. However, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said the flyer, which was available at the Department of Agriculture tent, was setting out the […]
(CNS): All 59 candidates who were nominated for office on Monday have met the legal requirement to file a Register of Interest submission by the deadline. However, members of the public who want to find out the true net worth, debts or conflicts of the candidates they will be choosing next month won’t find the […]
(CNS): Former education minister Rolston “Rollie” Anglin, who is making his fifth run for office, has told CNS that he won’t join any alliance before Election Day. Anglin has been nominated as an independent candidate for West Bay North. Although he is no stranger to political parties and alliances, this time he is focused on […]
(CNS): The Caymanian Community Party is holding its official party and campaign launch on Saturday night at the home of democracy in the Cayman Islands. All ten members of the new party will hit the hustings together at Pedro St James for a family-friendly event of community, connection and conversation about Cayman’s future with TCCP […]
(CNS): Progressives (PPM) Leader Joey Hew, The Cayman Community Party (TCCP) Leader André Ebanks, and Cayman Islands National Party (CINP) Leader Dan Scott have swung into battle to try to secure ten seats on 30 April and become the Cayman Islands’ next premier. Any party with ten MPs would be a majority in the House […]
(CNS): The Elections Office has confirmed that 59 candidates were nominated on Monday to contest the 2025 General Election on 30 April. This is not the biggest slate of candidates to run in an election as there were more than 60 in 2017, but it’s nine more than in 2021. There are also more candidates […]
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 […]
